CAPTAIN  PLUM 

JAMES    OLIVER.  CURWOOD 


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JNIVERSITY  OF 
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The  COURAGE  of  CAPTAIN  PLUM 


'I  am  going  to  take  you  from  the  island!" — Page  15* 


The  COURAGE  of 
CAPTAIN  PLUM 


BY 

JAMES  OLIVER  CURWOOD 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BT 

FRANK  E.  SCHOONOVER 


INDIANAPOLIS 

THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT  1908 
THE  BOBBS-MBRRILL  COMPANY 

OCTOBER 


PRESS  OF 

BRAUNWORTH  &  CO. 

BOOKBINDERS  AND  PRINTERS 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 


The  COURAGE  o/CAPTAIN  PLUM 


THE  COURAGE  OF 
CAPTAIN  PLUM 

CHAPTER  I 

THE   TWO   OATHS 

ON  an  afternoon  in  the  early  summer  of  1856 
Captain  Nathaniel  Plum,  master  and  owner  of 
the  sloop  Typhoon  was  engaged  in  nothing 
more  important  than  the  smoking  of  an  enor- 
mous pipe.  Clouds  of  strongly  odored  smoke, 
tinted  with  the  lights  of  the  setting  sun,  had 
risen  above  his  head  in  unremitting  volumes  for 
the  last  half  hour.  There  was  infinite  content- 
ment in  his  face,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
he  had  been  meditating  on  a  subject  that  was 
not  altogether  pleasant.  But  Captain  Plum 
was,  in  a  way,  a  philosopher,  though  one  would 
1 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

not  have  guessed  this  fact  from  his  appearance. 
He  was,  in  the  first  place,  a  young  man,  not 
more  than  eight  or  nine  and  twenty,  and  his 
strong,  rather  thin  face,  tanned  by  exposure  to 
the  sea,  was  just  now  lighted  up  by  eyes  that 
shone  with  an  unbounded  good  humor  which  any 
instant  might  take  the  form  of  laughter. 

At  the  present  time  Captain  Plum's  vision  was 
confined  to  one  direction,  which  carried  his  gaze 
out  over  Lake  Michigan.  Earlier  in  the  day  he 
had  been  able  to  discern  the  hazy  outline  of  the 
Michigan  wilderness  twenty  miles  to  the  east- 
ward. Straight  ahead,  shooting  up  rugged  and 
sharp  in  the  red  light  of  the  day's  end,  were  two 
islands.  Between  these,  three  miles  away,  the 
sloop  Typhoon  was  strongly  silhouetted  in  the 
fading  glow.  Beyond  the  islands  and  the  sloop 
there  were  no  other  objects  for  Captain  Plum's 
eyes  to  rest  upon.  So  far  as  he  could  see  there 
was  no  other  sail.  At  his  back  he  was  shut  in 
by  a  dense  growth  of  trees  and  creeping  vines, 
and  unless  a  small  boat  edged  close  in  around  the 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

end  of  Beaver  Island  his  place  of  concealment 
must  remain  undiscovered.  At  least  this  seemed 
an  assured  fact  to  Captain  Plum. 

In  the  security  of  his  position  he  began  to 
whistle  softly  as  he  beat  the  bowl  of  his  pipe  on 
his  boot-heel  to  empty  it  of  ashes.  Then  he 
drew  a  long-barreled  revolver  from  under  a  coat 
that  he  had  thrown  aside  and  examined  it  care- 
fully to  see  that  the  powder  and  ball  were  in 
solid  and  that  none  of  the  caps  was  missing. 
From  the  same  place  he  brought  forth  a  belt, 
buckled  it  round  his  waist,  shoved  the  revolver 
into  its  holster,  and  dragging  the  coat  to  him, 
fished  out  a  letter  from  an  inside  pocket.  It 
was  a  dirty,  much  worn  letter.  Perhaps  he  had 
read  it  a  score  of  times.  He  read  it  again  now, 
and  then,  refilling  his  pipe,  settled  back  against 
the  rock  that  formed  a  rest  for  his  shoulders 
and  turned  his  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  sloop. 

The  last  rim  of  the  sun  had  fallen  below  the 
Michigan  wilderness  and  in  the  rapidly  increas- 
ing gloom  the  sloop  was  becoming  indistinguish- 
3 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

able.  Captain  Plum  looked  at  his  watch.  He 
must  still  wait  a  little  longer  before  setting  out 
upon  the  adventure  that  had  brought  him  to  this 
isolated  spot.  He  rested  his  head  against  the 
rock,  and  thought.  He  had  been  thinking  for 
hours.  Back  in  the  thicket  he  heard  the  prow- 
ling of  some  small  animal.  There  came  the 
sleepy  chirp  of  a  bird  and  the  rustling  of  tired 
wings  settling  for  the  night.  A  strange  still- 
ness hovered  about  him,  and  with  it  there  came 
over  him  a  loneliness  that  was  chilling,  a  loneli- 
ness that  made  him  homesick.  It  was  a  new  and 
unpleasant  sensation  to  Captain  Plum.  He  could 
not  remember  just  when  he  had  experienced  it 
before ;  that  is,  if  he  dated  the  present  from  two 
weeks  ago  to-night.  It  was  then  that  the  letter 
had  been  handed  to  him  in  Chicago,  and  it  had 
been  a  weight  upon  his  soul  and  a  prick  to  his 
conscience  ever  since.  Once  or  twice  he  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  destroy  it,  but  each  time  he  had 
repented  at  the  last  moment.  In  a  sudden  revul- 
sion at  his  weakness  he  pulled  himself  together, 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

crumpled  the  dirty  missive  into  a  ball,  and  flung 
it  out  upon  the  white  rim  of  beach. 

At  this  action  there  came  a  quick  movement  in 
the  dense  wall  of  verdure  behind  him.  Noise- 
lessly the  tangle  of  vines  separated  and  a  head 
thrust  itself  out  in  time  to  see  the  bit  of  paper 
fall  short  of  the  water's  edge.  Then  the  head 
shot  back  as  swiftly  and  as  silently  as  a  ser- 
pent's. Perhaps  Captain  Plum  heard  the  gloat- 
ing chuckle  that  followed  the  movement.  If  so 
he  thought  it  only  some  night  bird  in  the  brush. 

"  Heigh-ho ! "  he  exclaimed  with  some  return 
of  his  old  cheer,  "  it's  about  time  we  were  start- 
ing !  "  He  jumped  to  his  feet  and  began  brush- 
ing the  sand  from  his  clothes.  .When  he  had 
done,  he  walked  out  upon  the  rim  of  beach  and 
stretched  himself  until  his  arm-bones  cracked. 

Again  the  hidden  head  shot  forth  from  its 
concealment.  A  sudden  turn  and  Captain  Plum 
would  certainly  have  been  startled.  For  it  was 
a  weird  object,  this  spying  head;  its  face  dead- 
white  against  the  dense  green  of  the  verdure, 
5 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

with  shocks  of  long  white  hair  hanging  down 
on  each  side,  framing  between  them  a  pair  of 
eyes  that  gleamed  from  cavernous  sockets,  like 
black  glowing  beads.  There  was  unmistakable 
fear,  a  tense  anxiety  in  those  glittering  eyes  as 
Captain  Plum  walked  toward  the  paper,  but 
when  he  paused  and  stretched  himself,  the  sole 
of  his  boot  carelessly  trampling  the  discarded 
letter,  the  head  disappeared  again  and  there 
came  another  satisfied  bird-like  chuckle  from  the 
gloom  of  the  thicket. 

Captain  Plum  now  put  on  his  coat,  buttoned 
it  close  to  conceal  the  weapons  in  his  belt,  and 
walked  along  the  narrow  water-run  that  crept 
like  a  white  ribbon  between  the  lake  and  the 
island  wilderness.  No  sooner  had  he  disap- 
peared than  the  bushes  and  vines  behind  the  rock 
were  torn  asunder  and  a  man  wormed  his  way 
through  them.  For  an  instant  he  paused,  list- 
ening for  returning  footsteps,  and  then  with 
startling  agility  darted  to  the  beach  and  seized 
the  crumpled  letter. 

6 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

The  person  who  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
afternoon  had  been  spying  upon  Captain  Plum 
from  the  security  of  the  thicket  was  to  all  ap- 
pearances a  very  small  and  a  very  old  man, 
though  there  was  something  about  him  that 
seemed  to  belie  a  first  guess  at  his  age.  His 
face  was  emaciated ;  his  hair  was  white  and  hung 
in  straggling  masses  on  his  shoulders ;  his  hooked 
nose  bore  apparently  the  infallible  stamp  of  ex- 
treme age.  Yet  there  was  a  strange  and  uncanny 
strength  and  quickness  in  his  movements. 
There  was  no  stoop  to  his  shoulders.  His 
head  was  set  squarely.  His  eyes  were  as  keen 
as  steel.  It  would  have  been  impossible  to  have 
told  whether  he  was  fifty  or  seventy.  Eagerly 
he  smoothed  out  the  abused  missive  and  evi- 
dently succeeded  even  in  the  failing  light,  in 
deciphering  much  of  it,  for  the  glimmer  of  a 
smile  flashed  over  his  thin  features  as  he  thrust 
the  paper  into  his  pocket. 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation  he  set  out  on 
the  trail  of  Captain  Plum.  A  quarter  of  a  mile 
7 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

down  the  path  he  overtook  the  object  of  his  pur- 
suit. 

"  Ah,  how  do  you  do,  sir  ?  "  he  greeted  as  the 
younger  man  turned  about  upon  hearing  his  ap- 
proach. "  A  mighty  fast  pace  you're  setting 
for  an  old  man,  sir !  "  He  broke  into  a  laugh 
that  was  not  altogether  unpleasant,  and  boldly 
held  out  a  hand.  "  We've  been  expecting  you, 
but — -not  in  this  way.  I  hope  there's  nothing 
wrong?  " 

Captain  Plum  had  accepted  the  proffered 
hand.  Its  coldness  and  the  singular  appearance 
of  the  old  man  who  had  come  like  an  apparition 
chilled  him.  In  a  moment,  however,  it  occurred 
to  him  that  he  was  a  victim  of  mistaken  identity. 
As  far  as  he  knew  there  was  no  one  on  Beaver 
Island  who  was  expecting  him.  To  the  best  of 
his  knowledge  he  was  a  fool  for  being  there. 
His  crew  aboard  the  sloop  had  agreed  upon  that 
point  with  extreme  vehemence  and,  to  a  man, 
had  attempted  to  dissuade  him  from  the  mad 
project  upon  which  he  was  launching  himself 
8 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

among  the  Mormons  in  their  island  stronghold. 
All  this  came  to  him  while  the  little  old  man 
was  looking  up  into  his  face,  chuckling,  and 
shaking  his  hand  as  if  he  were  one  of  the  most 
important  and  most  greatly  to  be  desired  per- 
sonages in  the  world. 

"  Hope  there's  nothing  wrong,  Cap'n  ?  "  he 
repeated. 

"  Right  as  a  trivet  here,  Dad,"  replied  the 
young  man,  dropping  the  cold  hand  that  still 
persisted  in  clinging  to  his  own.  "  But  I  guess 
you've  got  the  wrong  party.  Who's  expecting 
me?" 

The  old  man's  face  wrinkled  itself  in  a 
grimace  and  one  gleaming  eye  opened  and  closed 
in  an  understanding  wink. 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho !  — •  of  course  you're  not  ex- 
pected. Anyway,  you're  not  expected  to  be  ex- 
pected !  Cautious  —  a  born  general  —  mighty 
clever  thing  to  do.  Strang  should  appreciate 
it."  The  old  man  gave  vent  to  his  own  appro- 
bation in  a  series  of  inimitable  chuckles.  "  Is 
9 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

that  your  sloop  out  there?  "  he  inquired  inter- 
estedly. 

Something  in  the  strangeness  of  the  situation 
began  to  interest  Captain  Plum.  He  had 
planned  a  little  adventure  of  his  own,  but  here 
was  one  that  promised  to  develop  into  something 
more  exciting.  He  nodded  his  head. 

"  That's  her." 

"  Splendid  cargo,"  went  on  the  old  man. 
"Splendid  cargo,  eh?" 

"  Pretty  fair." 

"  Powder  in  good  shape,  eh?  " 

"  Dry  as  tinder." 

"  And  balls  —  lots  of  balls,  and  a  few  guns, 
eh?" 

"  Yes,  we  have  a  few  guns,"  said  Captain 
Plum.  The  old  man  noted  the  emphasis,  but 
the  darkness  that  had  fast  settled  about  them 
hid  the  added  meaning  that  passed  in  a  curious 
look  over  the  other's  face. 

"  Odd  way  to  come  in,  though  —  very  odd !  " 
continued  the  old  man,  gurgling  and  shaking  as 
10 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

if  the  thought  of  it  occasioned  him  great  merri- 
ment. "  Very  cautious.  Level  business  head. 
Want  to  know  that  things  are  on  the  square, 
eh?" 

"  That's  it !  "  exclaimed  Captain  Plum,  catch- 
ing at  the  proffered  straw.  Inwardly  he  was 
wondering  when  his  feet  would  touch  bottom. 
Thus  far  he  had  succeeded  in  getting  but  a 
single  grip  on  the  situation.  Somebody  was  ex- 
pected at  Beaver  Island  with  powder  and  balls 
and  guns.  Well,  he  had  a  certain  quantity  of 
these  materials  aboard  his  sloop,  and  if  he  could 
make  an  agreeable  bargain  — 

The  old  man  interrupted  the  plan  that  was 
slowly  forming  itself  in  Captain  Plum's  puzzled 
brain. 

"  It's  the  price,  eh?  "  He  laughed  shrewdly. 
"  You  want  to  see  the  color  of  the  gold  before 
you  land  the  goods.  I'll  show  it  to  you.  I'll 
pay  you  the  whole  sum  to-night.  Then  you'll 
take  the  stuff  where  I  tell  you  to.  Eh?  Isn't 
that  so?"  He  darted  ahead  of  Captain  Plum 
11 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

with  a  quick  alert  movement.  "  Will  you 
please  follow  me,  sir?  " 

For  an  instant  Captain  Plum's  impulse  was  to 
hold  back.  In  that  instant  it  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  him  that  he  was  lending  himself  to  a 
rank  imposition.  At  the  same  time  he  was  filled 
with  a  desire  to  go  deeper  into  the  adventure, 
and  his  blood  thrilled  with  the  thought  of  what 
it  might  hold  for  him. 

"  Are  you  coming,  sir?  " 

The  little  old  man  had  stopped  a  dozen  paces 
away  and  turned  expectantly. 

"  I  tell  you  again  that  you've  got  the  wrong 
man,  Dad ! " 

"  Will  you  follow  me,  sir  ?  " 

"  Well,  if  you'll  have  it  so  —  damned  if  I 
won't ! "  cried  Captain  Plum.  He  felt  that  he 
had  relieved  his  conscience,  anyway.  If  things 
should  develop  badly  for  him  during  the  next 
few  hours  no  one  could  say  that  he  had  lied.  So 
he  followed  light-heartedly  after  the  old  man, 
his  eyes  and  ears  alert,  and  his  right  hand,  by 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

force  of  habit,  reaching  under  his  coat  to  the 
butt  of  his  pistol.  His  guide  said  not  another 
word  until  they  had  traveled  for  half  an  hour 
along  a  twisting  path  and  stood  at  last  on  the 
bald  summit  of  a  knoll  from  which  they  could 
look  down  upon  a  number  of  lights  twinkling 
dimly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  One  of  these 
lights  gleamed  above  all  the  others,  like  a  beacon 
set  among  fireflies. 

"  That's  St.  James,"  said  the  old  man.  His 
voice  had  changed.  It  was  low  and  soft,  as 
though  he  feared  to  speak  above  a  whisper. 

"  St.  James !  " 

The  young  man  at  his  side  gazed  down  silently 
upon  the  scattered  lights,  his  heart  throbbing  in 
a  sudden  tumult  of  excitement.  He  had  set  out 
that  day  with  the  idea  of  resting  his  eyes  on  St. 
James.  In  its  silent  mystery  the  town  now  lay 
at  his  feet. 

"  And  that  light  — "  spoke  the  old  man.  He 
pointed  a  trembling  arm  toward  the  glare  that 
shone  more  powerfully  than  the  others.  "  That 
13 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

light  marks  the  sacred  home  of  the  king ! " 
His  voice  had  again  changed.  A  metallic  hard- 
ness came  into  it,  his  words  were  vibrant  with  a 
strange  excitement  which  he  strove  hard  to  con- 
ceal. It  was  still  light  enough  for  Captain 
Plum  to  see  that  the  old  man's  black,  beady  eyes 
were  startlingly  alive  with  newly  aroused 
emotion. 

"  You  mean  — " 

"Strang!" 

He  started  rapidly  down  the  knoll  and  there 
floated  back  to  Captain  Plum  the  soft  notes  of 
his  meaningless  chuckle.  A  dozen  rods  farther 
on  his  mysterious  guide  turned  into  a  by-path 
which  led  them  to  another  knoll,  capped  by  a 
good-sized  building  made  of  logs.  There 
sounded  the  grating  of  a  key  in  a  lock,  the 
shooting  of  a  bolt,  and  a  door  opened  to  admit 
them. 

"  You  will  pardon  me  if  I  don't  light  up," 
apologized  the  old  man  as  he  led  the  way  in. 
"  A  candle  will  be  sufficient.  You  know  there 
14 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

must  be  privacy  in  these  matters  —  always. 
Eh?  Isn't  that  so?" 

Captain  Plum  followed  without  reply.  He 
guessed  that  the  cabin  was  made  up  of  one  large 
room,  and  that  at  the  present  time,  at  least,  it 
possessed  no  other  occupant  than  the  singular 
creature  who  had  guided  him  to  it. 

"  It  is  just  as  well,  on  this  particular  night, 
that  no  light  is  seen  at  the  window,"  continued 
the  old  man  as  he  rummaged  about  a  table  for 
a  match  and  a  candle.  "  I  have  a  little  corner 
back  here  that  a  candle  will  brighten  up  nicely 
and  no  one  in  the  world  will  know  it.  Ho,  ho, 
ho !  —  how  nice  it  is  to  have  a  quiet  little  corner 
sometimes !  Eh,  Captain  Plum  ?  " 

At  the  sound  of  his  name  Captain  Plum 
started  as  though  an  unexpected  hand  had  sud- 
denly been  laid  upon  him.  So  he  was  expected, 
after  all,  and  his  name  was  known !  For  a  mo- 
ment his  surprise  robbed  him  of  the  power  of 
speech.  The  little  old  man  had  lighted  his 
candle,  and,  grinning  back  over  his  shoulder, 
15 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

passed  through  a  narrow  cut  in  the  wall  that 
could  hardly  be  called  a  door  and  planted  his 
light  on  a  table  that  stood  in  the  center  of  a 
small  room,  or  closet,  not  more  than  five  feet 
square.  Then  he  coolly  pulled  Captain  Plum's 
old  letter  from  his  pocket  and  smoothed  it  out 
in  the  dim  light. 

"Be  seated,  Captain  Plum ;  right  over  there 
—  opposite  me.  So !  " 

He  continued  for  a  moment  to  smooth  out  the 
creases  in  the  letter  and  then  proceeded  to  read 
it  with  as  much  assurance  as  though  its  owner 
were  a  thousand  miles  away  instead  of  within 
arm's  reach  of  him.  Captain  Plum  was  dum- 
founded.  He  felt  the  hot  blood  rushing  to  his 
face  and  his  first  impulse  was  to  recover  the 
crumpled  paper  and  demand  something  more 
than  an  explanation.  In  the  next  instant  it 
occurred  to  him  that  this  action  would  probably 
spoil  whatever  possibilities  his  night's  adventure 
might  have  for  him.  So  he  held  his  peace. 
The  old  man  was  so  intent  in  his  perusal  of  the 
16 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

letter  that  the  end  of  his  hooked  nose  almost 
scraped  the  table.  He  went  over  the  dim,  partly 
obliterated  words  line  by  line,  chuckling  now  and 
then,  and  apparently  utterly  oblivious  of  the 
other's  presence.  When  he  had  come  to  the 
end  he  looked  up,  his  eyes  glittering  with  un- 
bounded satisfaction,  carefully  folded  the  letter, 
and  handed  it  to  Captain  Plum. 

"  That's  the  best  introduction  in  the  world, 
Captain  Plum  —  the  very  best !  Ho,  ho !  —  it 
couldn't  be  better.  I'm  glad  I  found  it."  He 
chuckled  gleefully,  and  rested  his  ogreish  head 
in  the  palms  of  his  skeleton-like  hands,  his  elbows 
on  the  table.  "  So  you're  going  back  home  — 
soon?" 

"  I  haven't  made  up  my  mind  yet,  Dad,"  re- 
sponded Captain  Plum,  pulling  out  his  pipe  and 
tobacco.  "  You've  read  the  letter  pretty  care- 
fully, I  guess.  What  would  you  do  ?  " 

"  Vermont  ?  "  questioned  the  old  man  shortly. 

"  That's  it." 

"  Well,  I'd  go,  and  very  soon,  Captain  Plum, 
17 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

very  soon,  indeed  •  Yes,  I'd  hurry !  "  The  old 
man  jumped  up  with  the  quickness  of  a  cat.  So 
sudden  was  his  movement  that  it  startled  Cap- 
tain Plum,  and  he  dropped  his  tobacco  pouch. 
By  the  time  he  had  recovered  this  article  his 
strange  companion  was  back  in  his  seat  again 
holding  a  leather  bag  in  his  hand.  Quickly  he 
untied  the  knot  at  its  top  and  poured  a  torrent 
of  glittering  gold  pieces  out  upon  the  table. 

"  Business  —  business  and  gold,"  he  gurgled 
happily,  rubbing  his  thin  hands  and  twisting  his 
fingers  until  they  cracked.  "  A  pretty  sight,  eh, 
Captain  Plum  ?  Now,  to  our  account !  A  hun- 
dred carbines,  eh?  And  a  thousand  of  powder 
and  a  ton  of  balls.  Or  is  it  in  lead?  It  doesn't 
make  any  difference  —  not  a  bit.  It's  three 
thousand,  that's  the  account,  eh?  "  He  fell  to 
counting  rapidly. 

For  a  full  minute  Captain  Plum  remained  in 

stupefied  bewilderment,  silenced  by  the  sudden 

and  unexpected  turn  his  adventure  had  taken. 

Fascinated,  he  watched  the  skeleton  fingers  as 

18 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

they  clinked  the  gold  pieces.  What  was  the 
mysterious  plot  into  which  he  had  allowed  him- 
self to  be  drawn?  Why  were  a  hundred  guns 
and  a  ton  and  a  half  of  powder  and  balls  wanted 
by  the  Mormons  of  Beaver  Island?  Instinc- 
tively he  reached  out  and  closed  his  hand  over 
the  counting  fingers  of  the  old  man.  Their  eyes 
met.  And  there  was  a  shrewd,  half -understand- 
ing gleam  in  the  black  orbs  that  fixed  Captain 
Plum  in  an  unflinching  challenge.  For  a  little 
space  there  was  silence.  It  was  Captain  Plum 
who  broke  it. 

"  Dad,  I'm  going  to  tell  you  for  the  third  and 
last  time  that  you've  made  a  mistake.  I've  got 
eight  of  the  best  rifles  in  America  aboard  my 
sloop  out  there.  But  there's  a  man  for  every 
gun.  And  I've  got  something  hidden  away  un- 
derdeck  that  would  blow  up  St.  James  in  half  an 
hour.  And  there  is  powder  and  ball  for  the 
whole  outfit.  But  that's  all.  I'll  sell  you  what 
I've  got  —  for  a  good  price.  Beyond  that 
you've  got  the  wrong  man !  " 
19 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

He  settled  back  and  blew  a  volume  of  smoke 
from  his  pipe.  For  another  half  minute  the  old 
man  continued  to  look  at  him,  his  eyes  twink- 
ling, and  then  he  fell  to  counting  again. 

Captain  Plum  was  not  given  over  to  the  habit 
of  cursing.  But  now  he  jumped  to  his  feet 
with  an  oath  that  jarred  the  table.  The  old 
man  chuckled.  The  gold  pieces  clinked  between 
his  fingers.  Coolly  he  shoved  two  glittering 
piles  alongside  the  candle-stick,  tumbled  the  rest 
back  into  the  leather  bag,  deliberately  tied  the 
end,  and  smiled  up  into  the  face  of  the  exas- 
perated captain. 

"  To  be  sure  you're  not  the  man,"  he  said, 
nodding  his  head  until  his  elf-locks  danced 
around  his  face.  "  Of  course  you're  not  the 
man.  I  know  it  —  ho,  ho !  you  can  wager  that 
I  know  it !  A  little  ruse  of  mine,  Captain  Plum. 
Pardonable  —  excusable,  eh  ?  I  wanted  to  know 
if  you  were  a  liar.  I  wanted  to  see  if  you  were 
honest." 

With  a  gasp  of  astonishment  Captain  Plum 


' 


• 


Captain  Plum 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

sank  back  into  the  chair.  His  jaw  dropped  and 
his  pipe  was  held  fireless  in  his  hand. 

"  The  devil  you  say !  " 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly,  if  you  wish  it," 
chuckled  the  little  man,  in  high  humor.  "  I 
would  have  visited  your  sloop  to-day,  Captain 
Plum,  if  you  hadn't  come  ashore  so  opportunely 
this  morning.  Ho,  ho,  ho !  a  good  joke,  eh?  A 
mighty  good  joke! " 

Captain  Plum  regained  his  composure  by  re- 
lighting his  pipe.  He  heard  the  chink  of  gold 
pieces  and  when  he  looked  again  the  two  piles 
of  money  were  close  to  the  edge  of  his  side  of  the 
table. 

"That's  for  you,  Captain  Plum.  There's 
just  a  thousand  dollars  in  those  two  piles." 
There  was  tense  earnestness  now  in  the  old  man's 
face  and  voice.  "  I've  imposed  on  you,"  he  con- 
tinued, speaking  as  one  who  had  suddenly  thrown 
off  a  disguise.  "  If  it  had  been  any  other  man 
it  would  have  been  the  same.  I  want  help.  I 
want  an  honest  man.  I  want  a  man  whom  I  can 
£1 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

trust.  I  will  give  you  a  thousand  dollars  if 
you  will  take  a  package  back  to  your  vessel  with 
you  and  will  promise  to  deliver  it  as  quickly  as 
you  can." 

"I'll  do  it!"  cried  Captain  Plum.  He 
jumped  to  his  feet  and  held  out  his  hand.  But 
the  old  man  slipped  from  his  chair  and  darted 
swiftly  out  into  the  blackness  of  the  adjoining 
room.  As  he  came  back  Captain  Plum  could 
hear  his  insane  chuckling. 

"  Business  —  business  —  business  — "  he 
gurgled.  "  Eh,  Captain  Plum  ?  Did  you  ever 
take  an  oath  ?  "  He  tossed  a  book  on  the  table. 
It  was  the  Bible. 

Captain  Plum  understood.  He  reached  for 
the  book  and  held  it  under  his  left  hand.  His 
right  he  lifted  above  his  head,  while  a  smile 
played  about  his  lips. 

"  I  suppose  you  want  to  place  me  under  oath 
to  deliver  that  package,"  he  said. 

The  old  man  nodded.  His  eyes  gleamed  with 
a  feverish  glare.  A  sudden  hectic  flush  had 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

gathered  in  his  death-like  cheeks.  He  trembled. 
His  voice  rose  barely  above  a  whisper. 

"  Repeat,"  he  commanded.  "  I,  Captain 
Nathaniel  Plum,  do  solemnly  swear  before 
God " 

A  thrilling  inspiration  shot  into  Captain 
Plum's  brain. 

"  Hold !  "  he  cried.  He  lowered  his  hand. 
With  something  that  was  almost  a  snarl  the  old 
man  sprang  back,  his  hands  clenched.  "  I  will 
take  this  oath  upon  one  other  consideration," 
continued  Captain  Plum.  "  I  came  to  Beaver 
Island  to  see  something  of  the  life  and  something 
of  the  people  of  St.  James.  If  you,  in  turn,  will 
swear  to  show  me  as  much  as  you  can  to-night 
I  will  take  the  oath." 

The  old  man  was  beside  the  table  again  in  an 
instant. 

"  I  will  show  it  to  you  —  all  —  all  — "  he  ex- 
claimed excitedly.  "  I  will  show  it  to  you 
—  yes,  and  swear  to  it  upon  the  body  of 
Christ!" 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

Captain  Plum  lifted  his  hand  again  and  word 
by  word  repeated  the  oath.  When  it  was  done 
the  other  took  his  place. 

"  Your  name  ?  "  asked  Captain  Plum. 

A  change  scarcely  perceptible  swept  over  the 
old  man's  face. 

"  Obadiah  Price." 

"  But  you  are  a  Mormon.  You  have  the 
Bible  there?" 

Again  the  old  man  disappeared  into  the  ad- 
joining room.  When  he  returned  he  placed  two 
books  side  by  side  and  stood  them  on  edge  so 
that  he  might  clasp  both  between  his  bony 
fingers.  One  was  the  Bible,  the  other  the  Book 
of  the  Mormons.  In  a  cracked,  excited  voice  he 
repeated  the  strenuous  oath  improvised  by  Cap- 
tain Plum. 

"  Now,"  said  Captain  Plum,  distributing  the 
gold  pieces  among  his  pockets,  "  I'll  take  that 
package." 

This  time  the  old  man  was  gone  for  several 
minutes.  When  he  returned  he  placed  a  small 


THE  TWO  OATHS 

package  tightly  bound  and  sealed  into  his  com- 
panion's hand. 

"  More  precious  than  your  life,  more  priceless 
than  gold,"  he  whispered  tensely,  "  yet  worth- 
less to  all  but  the  one  to  whom  it  is  to  be  de- 
livered." 

There  were  no  marks  on  the  package. 

u  And  who  is  that  ?  "  asked  Captain  Plum. 

The  old  man  came  so  close  that  his  breath  fell 
hot  upon  the  young  man's  cheek.  He  lifted  a 
hand  as  though  to  ward  sound  from  the  very 
walls  that  closed  them  in. 

"Franklin  Pierce,  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America !  " 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

HARDLY  had  the  words  fallen  from  the  lips  of 
Obadiah  Price  than  the  old  man  straightened 
himself  and  stood  as  rigid  as  a  gargoyle,  his 
gaze  penetrating  into  the  darkness  of  the  room 
beyond  Captain  Plum,  his  head  inclined  slightly, 
every  nerve  in  him  strained  to  a  tension  of  ex- 
pectancy. His  companion  involuntarily  gripped 
the  butt  of  his  pistol  and  faced  the  narrow  en- 
trance through  which  they  had  come.  In  the 
moment  of  absolute  silence  that  followed  there 
came  to  him,  faintly,  a  sound,  unintelligible  at 
first,  but  growing  in  volume  until  he  knew  that 
it  was  the  last  echo  of  a.  tolling  bell.  There  was 
no  movement,  no  sound  of  breath  or  whisper 
from  the  old  man  at  his  back.  But  when  it  came 
again,  floating  to  him  as  if  from  a  vast  distance, 
26 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

he  turned  quickly  to  find  Obadiah  Price  with  his 
face  lifted,  his  thin  arras  flung  wide  above  his 
head  and  his  lips  moving  as  if  in  prayer.  His 
eyes  burned  with  a  dull  glow  as  though  he  had 
been  suddenly  thrown  into  a  trance.  He  seemed 
not  to  breathe,  no  vibration  of  life  stirred  him 
except  in  the  movement  of  his  lips.  With  the 
third  toll  of  the  distant  bell  he  spoke,  and  to 
Captain  Plum  it  was  as  if  the  passion  and  fire 
in  his  voice  came  from  another  being. 

"  Our  Christ,  Master  of  hosts,  we  call  upon 
Thy  chosen  people  the  three  blessings  of  the  uni- 
verse —  peace,  prosperity  and  plenty,  and  upon 
Strang,  priest,  king  and  prophet,  the  bounty  of 
Thy  power!" 

Three  times  more  the  distant  bell  tolled  forth 
its  mysterious  message  and  when  the  last  echoes 
had  died  away  the  old  man's  arms  dropped  be- 
side him  and  he  turned  again  to  Captain  Plum. 

"  Franklin  Pierce,  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America,"  he  repeated,  as  though  there 
had  been  no  interruption  since  his  companion's 
27 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

question.  "  The  package  is  to  be  delivered  to 
him.  Now  you  must  excuse  me.  An  important 
matter  calls  me  out  for  a  short  time.  But  I 
will  be  back  soon  —  oh,  yes,  very  soon.  And 
you  will  wait  for  me.  You  will  wait  for  me 
here,  and  then  I  will  take  you  to  St.  James." 

He  was  gone  in  a  quick  hopping  way,  like  a 
cricket,  and  the  last  that  Captain  Plum  saw  of 
him  was  his  ghostly  face  turned  back  for  an  in- 
stant in  the  darkness  of  the  next  room,  and  after 
that  the  soft  patter  of  his  feet  and  the  strange 
chuckle  in  his  throat  traveled  to  the  outer  door 
and  died  away  as  he  passed  out  into  the  night. 
Nathaniel  Plum  was  not  a  man  to  be  easily 
startled,  but  there  was  something  so  unusual 
about  the  proceedings  in  which  he  was  as  yet 
playing  a  blind  part  that  he  forgot  to  smoke, 
which  was  saying  much.  Who  was  the  old  man  ? 
Was  he  mad?  His  eyes  scanned  the  little  room 
and  an  exclamation  of  astonishment  fell  from  his 
lips  when  he  saw  the  leather  bag,  partly  filled 
with  gold,  lying  where  his  mysterious  acquain- 
28 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

tance  had  dropped  it.  Surely  this  was  madness 
or  else  another  ruse  to  test  his  honesty.  The 
discovery  thrilled  him.  It  was  wonderfully 
quiet  out  in  that  next  room  and  very  dark. 
Were  hidden  eyes  guarding  that  bag?  Well, 
if  so,  he  would  give  their  owner  to  understand 
that  he  was  not  a  thief.  He  rose  from  his  chair 
and  moved  toward  the  bag,  lifted  it  in  his  hand, 
and  tossed  it  back  again  so  that  the  gold  in  it 
chinked  loudly.  Then  he  went  to  the  narrow 
aperture  and  blocked  it  with  his  body  and 
listened  until  he  knew  that  if  there  had  been 
human  life  in  the  room  he  would  have  heard  it. 
The  outer  door  was  open  and  through  it  there 
came  to  him  the  soft  breath  of  the  night  air  and 
the  sweetness  of  balsam  and  wild  flowers.  It 
struck  him  that  it  would  be  pleasanter  waiting 
outside  than  in,  and  it  would  undoubtedly  make 
no  difference  to  Obadiah  Price.  In  front  of 
the  cabin  he  found  the  stump  of  a  log  and  seat- 
ing himself  on  it  where  the  clear  light  of  the 
stars  fell  full  upon  him  he  once  more  began  his 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

interrupted  smoke.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he 
had  waited  a  long  time  when  he  heard  the  sound 
of  footsteps.  They  came  rapidly  as  if  the 
person  was  half  running.  Hardly  had  he 
located  the  direction  of  the  sound  when  a  figure 
appeared  in  the  opening  and  hurried  toward  the 
door  of  the  cabin.  A  dozen  yards  from  him  it 
paused  for  a  moment  and  turned  partly  about, 
as  if  inspecting  the  path  over  which  it  had  come. 
With  a  greeting  whistle  Captain  Plum  jumped 
to  his  feet.  He  heard  a  little  throat  note,  which 
was  not  the  chuckling  of  Obadiah  Price,  and 
the  figure  ran  almost  into  his  arms.  A  sudden 
knowledge  of  having  made  a  mistake  drew  Cap- 
tain Plum  a  pace  backward.  For  scarcely  more 
than  five  seconds  he  found  himself  staring  into 
the  white  terrified  face  of  a  girl.  Eyes  wide 
and  glowing  with  sudden  fright  met  his  own. 
Instinctively  he  lifted  his  hand  to  his  hat,  but 
before  he  could  speak  the  girl  sprang  back  with 
a  low  cry  and  ran  swiftly  down  the  path  that 
led  into  the  gloom  of  the  woods. 
30 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

For  several  minutes  Captain  Plum  stood  as 
if  the  sudden  apparition  had  petrified  him.  He 
listened  long  after  the  sound  of  retreating  foot- 
steps had  died  away.  There  remained  behind 
a  faint  sweet  odor  of  lilac  which  stirred  his  soul 
and  set  his  blood  tingling.  It  was  a  beautiful 
face  that  he  had  seen.  He  was  sure  of  that  and 
yet  he  could  have  given  no  good  verbal  proof 
of  it.  Only  the  eyes  and  the  odor  of  lilac  re- 
mained with  him  and  after  a  little  the  lilac 
drifted  away.  Then  he  went  back  to  the  log 
and  sat  down.  He  smiled  as  he  thought  of  the 
joke  that  he  had  unwittingly  played  on  Obadiah. 
From  his  knowledge  of  the  Beaver  Island  Mor- 
mons he  was  satisfied  that  the  old  man  who  dis- 
played gold  in  such  reckless  profusion  was  any- 
thing but  a  bachelor.  In  all  probability  this 
was  one  of  his  wives  and  the  cabin  behind  him, 
he  concluded,  was  for  some  reason  isolated  from 
the  harem.  "  Evidently  that  little  Saintess  is 
not  a  flirt,"  he  concluded,  "  or  she  would  have 
given  me  time  to  speak  to  her." 
31 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

The  continued  absence  of  Obadiah  Price  be- 
gan to  fill  Captain  Plum  with  impatience.  After 
an  hour's  wait  he  reentered  the  cabin  and  made 
his  way  to  the  little  room,  where  the  candle  was 
still  burning  dimly.  To  his  astonishment  he 
beheld  the  old  man  sitting  beside  the  table.  His 
thin  face  was  propped  between  his  hands  and 
his  eyes  were  closed  as  if  he  was  asleep.  They 
shot  open  instantly  on  Captain  Plum's  appear- 
ance. 

"  I've  been  waiting  for  you,  Nat,"  he  cried, 
straightening  himself  with  spring-like  quickness. 
"  Waiting  for  you  a  long  time,  Nat !  "  He 
rubbed  his  hands  and  chuckled  at  his  own  famil- 
iarity. "  I  saw  you  out  there  enjoying  your- 
self. What  did  you  think  of  her,  Nat?  "  He 
winked  with  such  audacious  glee  that,  despite 
his  own  astonishment,  Captain  Plum  burst  into 
a  laugh.  Obadiah  Price  held  up  a  warning 
hand.  "  Tut,  tut,  not  so  loud !  "  he  admon- 
ished. His  face  was  a  map  of  wrinkles.  His 
little  black  eyes  shone  with  silent  laughter. 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

There  was  no  doubt  but  that  he  was  immensely 
pleased  over  something.  "  Tell  me,  Nat  — 
why  did  you  come  to  St.  James?  " 

He  leaned  forward  over  the  table,  his  odd 
white  head  almost  resting  on  it,  and  twiddled  his 
thumbs  with  wonderful  rapidity.  "  Eh,  Nat  ?  " 
he  urged.  "  Why  did  you  come?  " 

"  Because  it  was  too  hot  and  uninteresting 
lying  out  there  in  a  calm,  Dad,"  replied  the 
master  of  the  Typhoon.  "  We've  been  roasting 
for  thirty-six  hours  without  a  breath  to  fill  our 
sails.  I  came  over  to  see  what  you  people  are 
like.  Any  harm  done?  " 

"  Not  a  bit,  not  a  bit  —  yet,"  chuckled  the 
old  man.  "  And  what's  your  business,  Nat?  " 

"Sailing  — mostly." 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho !  of  course,  I  might  have  known 
it !  Sailing  —  mostly.  Why,  certainly  you 
sail!  And  why  do  you  carry  a  pistol  on  one 
side  of  you  and  a  knife  on  the  other,  Nat  ?  " 

"  Troublous  times,  Dad.  Some  of  the  fisher- 
folk  along  the  Northern  End  aren't  very  scrup- 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

ulous.     They   took   a   cargo    of   canned   stuffs 
from  me  a  year  back." 

"  And  what  use  do  you  make  of  the  four- 
pounder  that's  wrapped  up  in  tarpaulin  under 
your  deck,  Nat?  And  what  in  the  world  are 
you  going  to  do  with  five  barrels  of  gun- 
powder? " 

"  How  in  blazes  — "  began  Captain  Plum. 

"  O,  to  be  sure,  to  be  sure  —  they're  for  the 
fisher-folk,"  interrupted  Obadiah  Price.  "  Blow 
'em  up,  eh,  Nat?  And  you  seem  to  be  a  young 
man  of  education,  Nat.  How  did  you  happen 
to  make  a  mistake  in  your  count?  Haven't  you 
twelve  men  aboard  your  sloop  instead  of  eight, 
Nat?  Aren't  there  twelve  instead  of  eight? 
Eh,  Nat?" 

"  The  devil  take  you !  "  cried  Captain  Plum, 
leaping  suddenly  to  his  feet,  his  face  flaming 
red.  "  Yes,  I  have  got  twelve  men  and  I've  got 
a  gun  in  tarpaulin  and  I've  got  five  barrels  of 
gunpowder!  But  how  in  the  name  of  King- 
dom-Come did  you  find  it  out?  " 
34 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

Obadiah  Price  came  around  the  end  of  the 
table  and  stood  so  close  to  Captain  Plum  that  a 
person  ten  feet  away  could  not  have  heard  him 
when  he  spoke. 

"  I  know  more  than  that,  Nat,"  he  whispered. 
"  Listen !  A  little  while  ago  -—  say  two  weeks 
back  —  you  were  becalmed  off  the  head  of 
Beaver  Island,  and  one  dark  night  you  were 
boarded  by  two  boat-loads  of  men  who  made  you 
and  your  crew  prisoners,  robbed  you  of  every- 
thing you  had, —  and  the  next  day  you  went 
back  to  Chicago.  Eh?" 

Nathaniel  stood  speechless. 

"  And  you  made  up  your  mind  the  pirates 
were  Mormons,  enlisted  some  of  your  friends, 
armed  your  ship  —  and  you're  back  here  to 
make  us  settle.  Isn't  it  so,  Nat  ?  " 

The  little  old  man  was  rubbing  his  hands 
eagerly,  excitedly. 

"  You  tried  to  get  the  revenue  cutter  Michi- 
gan to  come  down  with  you,  but  they  wouldn't 
—  ho,  ho,  they  wouldn't!  One  of  our  friends 
35 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

in  Chicago  sent  quick  word  ahead  of  you  to  tell 
me  all  about  it,  and  —  Strang,  the  king,  doesn't 
know!" 

He  spoke  the  last  words  in  intense  earnest- 
ness. 

Then,  suddenly,  he  held  out  his  hand. 

"  Young  man,  will  you  shake  hands  with  me  ? 
Will  you  shake  hands  ?  —  and  then  we  will  go 
to  St.  James !  " 

Captain  Plum  thrust  out  a  hand  and  the  old 
man  gripped  it.  The  thin  fingers  tightened  like 
cold  clamps  of  steel.  For  a  moment  the  face  of 
Obadiah  Price  underwent  a  strange  change. 
The  hardness  and  glitter  went  out  of  his  eyes 
and  in  place  there  came  a  questioning,  al- 
most an  appealing,  look.  His  tense  mouth 
relaxed.  It  was  as  if  he  was  on  the  point  of  sur- 
rendering to  some  emotion  which  he  was  strug- 
gling to  stifle.  And  Nathaniel,  meeting  those 
eyes,  felt  that  somewhere  within  him  had  been 
struck  a  strange  chord  of  sympathy,  something 
that  made  this  little  old  man  more  than  a  half- 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

mad  stranger  to  him,  and  involuntarily  the  grip 
of  his  fingers  tightened  around  those  of  his  com- 
panion. 

"  Now  we  will  go  to  St.  James,  Captain 
Plum!" 

He  attempted  to  withdraw  his  hand  but  Cap- 
tain Plum  held  to  it. 

"  Not  yet!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  There  are  two 
or  three  things  which  your  friend  didn't  tell  you, 
Obadiah  Price !  " 

Nathaniel's  eyes  glittered  dangerously. 

"  When  I  left  ship  this  morning  I  gave  ex- 
plicit orders  to  Casey,  my  mate." 

He  gazed  steadily  into  the  old  man's  unflinch- 
ing eyes. 

"  I  said  something  like  this :  '  Casey,  I'm 
going  to  see  Strang  before  I  come  back.  If 
he's  willing  to  settle  for  five  thousand,  we'll  call 
it  off.  And  if  he  isn't  —  why,  we'll  stand  out 
there  a  mile  and  blow  St.  James  into  hell !  And 
if  I  don't  come  back  by  to-morrow  at  sundown, 
Casey,  you  take  command  and  blow  it  to  hell 
37 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

without  me ! '  So,  Obadiah  Price,  if  there's 
treachery — " 

The  old  man  clutched  at  his  hands  with  insane 
fierceness. 

"  There  will  be  no  treachery,  Nat,  I  swear  to 
God  there  will  be  no  treachery !  Come,  we  will 
go-" 

Still  Captain  Plum  hesitated. 

"  Who  are  you?     Whom  am  I  to  follow?  " 

"  A  member  of  our  holy  Council  of  Twelve, 
Nat,  and  lord  high  treasurer  of  His  Majesty, 
King  Strang ! " 

Before  Captain  Plum  could  recover  from  the 
surprise  of  this  whispered  announcement  the 
little  old  man  had  freed  himself  and  was  patter- 
ing swiftly  through  the  darkness  of  the  next 
room.  The  master  of  the  Typhoon  followed 
close  behind  him.  Outside  the  councilor  hesi- 
tated for  a  moment,  as  if  debating  which  route 
to  take,  and  then  with  a  prodigious  wink  at  Cap- 
tain Plum  and  a  throatful  of  his  inimitable 
chuckles,  chose  the  path  down  which  his  startled 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

visitor  of  a  short  time  before  had  fled.  For 
fifteen  minutes  this  path  led  between  thick  black 
walls  of  forest  verdure.  Obadiah  Price  kept 
always  a  few  paces  ahead  of  his  companion  and 
spoke  not  a  word.  At  the  end  of  perhaps  half 
a  mile  the  path  entered  into  a  large  clearing  on 
the  farther  side  of  which  Nathaniel  caught  the 
glimmer  of  a  light.  They  passed  close  to  this 
light,  which  came  from  the  window  of  a  large 
square  house  built  of  logs,  and  Captain  Plum 
became  suddenly  conscious  that  the  air  was  filled 
with  the  redolent  perfume  of  lilac.  With  half 
a  dozen  quick  strides  he  overtook  the  councilor 
and  caught  him  by  the  arm. 

"  I  smell  lilac! "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Certainly,  so  do  I,"  replied  Obadiah  Price. 
"  We  have  very  fine  lilacs  on  the  island." 

"  And  I  smelled  lilac  back  there,"  continued 
Nathaniel,  still  holding  to  the  old  man's  arm, 
and  pointing  a  thumb  over  his  shoulder.  "  I 
smelled  'em  back  there,  when — " 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho !  "  chuckled  the  councilor  softly. 
39 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,  Nat,  I  don't  doubt  it.  She 
is  very  fond  of  lilacs.  She  wears  the  flowers 
very  often." 

He  pulled  himself  away  and  Captain  Plum 
could  hear  his  queer  chuckling  for  some  time 
after.  Soon  they  entered  the  gloom  of  the 
woods  again  and  a  little  later  came  out  into 
another  clearing  and  Nathaniel  knew  that  it  was 
St.  James  that  lay  at  his  feet.  The  lights  of 
a  few  fishing  boats  were  twinkling  in  the  harbor, 
but  for  the  most  part  the  town  was  dark.  Here 
and  there  a  window  shone  like  a  spot  of  phos- 
phorescent yellow  in  the  dismal  gloom  and  the 
great  beacon  still  burned  steadily  over  the  home 
of  the  prophet. 

"  Ah,  it  is  not  time,"  whispered  Obadiah. 
"  It  is  still  too  early."  He  drew  his  companion 
out  of  the  path  which  they  had  followed  and 
sat  himself  down  on  a  hummock  a  dozen  yards 
away  from  it,  inviting  Nathaniel  by  a  pull  of 
the  sleeve  to  do  the  same.  There  were  three  of 
these  hummocks,  side  by  side,  and  Captain  Plum 
40 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

chose  the  one  nearest  the  old  man  and  waited 
for  him  to  speak.  But  the  councilor  did  not 
open  his  lips.  Doubled  over  until  his  chin 
rested  almost  upon  the  sharp  points  of  his  knees, 
he  gazed  steadily  at  the  beacon,  and  as  he 
looked  it  shuddered  and  grew  dark,  like  a  fire- 
fly that  suddenly  closes  its  wings.  With  a 
quick  spring  the  councilor  straightened  himself 
and  turned  to  the  master  of  the  Typhoon. 

"  You  have  a  good  nose,  Nat,"  he  said,  "  but 
your  ears   are  not  so  good.     Sh-h-h-h ! "     He 
lifted   a   hand  warningly   and  nodded   sidewise 
toward  the  path.     Captain  Plum  listened.     He 
heard   low   voices   and   then    footsteps  —  voices 
that  were  approaching  rapidly,  and  were  those 
of  women,  and  footsteps  that  were  almost  run- 
ning.     The  old  man  caught  him  by  the  arm  and 
as  the  sounds  came  nearer  his  grip  tightened. 
"  Don't  frighten  them,  Nat.     Get  down !  " 
He  crouched  until  he  was  only  a  part  of  the 
shadows  of  the  ground   and  following  his  ex- 
ample  Nathaniel   slipped   between    two   of   the 
41 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

knolls.  A  few  yards  away  the  sound  of  the 
voices  ceased  and  there  was  a  hesitancy  in  the 
soft  tread  of  the  approaching  steps.  Slowly, 
and  now  in  awesome  silence,  two  figures  came 
down  the  path  and  when  they  reached  a  point 
opposite  the  hummocks  Nathaniel  could  see  that 
they  turned  their  faces  toward  them  and  that 
for  a  brief  space  there  was  something  of  terror 
in  the  gleam  he  caught  of  their  eyes.  In  a 
moment  they  had  passed.  Then  he  heard  them 
running. 

"  They  saw  us ! "   Captain  Plum  exclaimed. 

Obadiah  hopped  to  his  feet  and  rubbed  his 
hands  with  great  glee.  "  What  a  temptation, 
Nat !  "  he  whispered.  "  What  a  temptation  to 
frighten  them  out  of  their  wits!  No,  they 
didn't  see  us,  Nat  —  they  didn't  see  us.  The 
girls  are  always  frightened  when  they  pass 
these  graves.  Some  day — " 

"  Graves ! "  almost  shouted  the  master  of  the 
Typhoon.  "  Graves  —  and  we  sitting  on  'em !  " 

"That's   all   right,   Nat  — that's   all   right. 
42 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

They're  my  graves,  so  we're  welcome  to  sit  on 
them.  I  often  come  here  and  sit  for  hours  at 
a  time.  They  like  to  have  me,  especially  little 
Jean  —  the  middle  one.  Perhaps  I'll  tell  you 
about  Jean  before  you  go  away." 

If  Captain  Plum  had  been  watching  him  he 
would  have  seen  that  soft  mysterious  light  again 
shining  in  the  old  councilor's  eyes.  But  now 
Nathaniel  stood  erect,  his  nostrils  sniffing  the 
air,  catching  once  more  the  sweet  scent  of  lilac. 
He  hurried  out  into  the  opening,  with  the  old 
man  close  behind  him,  and  peered  down  into  the 
starlit  gloom  into  which  the  two  girls  had  dis- 
appeared. The  lovely  face  that  had  appeared 
to  him  for  an  instant  at  Obadiah's  cabin  began 
to  haunt  him.  He  was  sure  now  that  his  sud- 
den appearance  had  not  been  the  only  cause  of 
its  terror,  and  he  felt  that  he  should  have  called 
out  to  her  or  followed  until  he  had  overtaken 
her.  He  could  easily  have  excused  his  boldness, 
even  if  the  councilor  had  been  watching  him 
from  the  cabin  door.  He  was  certain  that  she 
43 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

had  passed  very  near  to  him  again  and  that  the 
fright  which  Obadiah  had  attempted  to  explain 
was  not  because  of  the  graves.  He  swung  about 
upon  his  companion,  determined  to  ask  for  an 
explanation.  The  latter  seemed  to  divine  his 
thought. 

"  Don't  let  a  little  scent  of  lilac  disturb  you 
so,  young  man,"  he  said  with  singular  coldness. 
"It  may  cause  you  great  unpleasantness."  He 
went  ahead  and  Nathaniel  followed  him,  assured 
that  the  old  man's  words  and  the  way  in  which 
he  had  spoken  them  no  longer  left  a  doubt  as  to 
the  identity  of  his  night  visitor.  She  was  one 
of  the  councilor's  wives,  so  he  thought,  and  his 
own  interest  in  her  was  beginning  to  have  an 
irritating  effect.  In  other  words  Obadiah  was 
becoming  jealous. 

For  some  time  there  was  silence  between  the 
two.  Obadiah  Price  now  walked  with  extreme 
slowness  and  along  paths  which  seemed  to  bring 
him  no  nearer  to  the  town  below.  Nathaniel 
could  see  that  he  was  absorbed  in  thoughts  of  his 
44 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

own,  and  held  his  peace.  Was  it  possible  that 
he  had  spoiled  his  chances  with  the  councilor 
because  of  a  pretty  face  and  a  bunch  of  lilacs? 
The  thought  tickled  Captain  Plum  despite  the 
delicacy  of  his  situation  and  he  broke  into  an  in- 
voluntary laugh.  The  laugh  brought  Obadiah 
to  a  halt  as  suddenly  as  though  some  one  had 
thrust  a  bayonet  against  his  breast. 

"  Nat,  you've  got  good  red  blood  in  you," 
he  cried,  whirling  about.  "  D'ye  suppose  you 
can  hate  as  well  as  love?  " 

"  Lord  deliver  us !  "  exclaimed  the  astonished 
Captain  Plum.  "  Hate  —  love  —  what  the  — " 

"  Yes,  hate,"  repeated  the  old  man  with  fierce 
emphasis,  so  close  that  his  breath  struck  Nathan- 
iel's face.  "  You  can  love  a  pretty  face  —  and 
you  can  hate.  I  know  you  can.  If  you 
couldn't  I  would  send  you  back  to  your  sloop 
with  the  package  to-night.  But  as  it  is  I  am 
going  to  relieve  you  of  your  oath.  Yes,  Nat, 
I  give  you  back  your  oath  —  for  a  time." 

Nathaniel  stepped  a  pace  back  and  put  his 
45 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

hands  on  his  pockets  as  if  to  protect  the  gold 
there. 

"  You  mean  that  you  want  to  call  off  our 
bargain  ?  "  he  asked. 

The  councilor  rubbed  his  hands  until  the  fric- 
tion of  them  sent  a  shiver  up  Nathaniel's  back. 
"Not  that,  Nat  — 0,  no,  not  that!  The  bar- 
gain is  good.  The  gold  is  yours.  You  must 
deliver  the  package.  But  you  need  not  do  it 
immediately.  Understand?  I  am  lonely  back 
there  in  my  shack.  I  want  company.  You 
must  stay  with  me  a  week.  Eh?  Lilacs  and 
pretty  faces,  Nat !  Ho,  ho !  —  You  will  stay  a 
week,  won't  you,  Nat  ?  " 

He  spoke  so  rapidly  and  his  face  underwent 
so  many  changes,  now  betraying  the  keenest  ex- 
citement, now  wrinkled  in  an  ogreish,  bantering 
grin,  now  almost  pleading  in  its  earnestness,  that 
Nathaniel  knew  not  what  to  make  of  him.  He 
looked  into  the  beady  eyes,  sparkling  with 
passion,  and  the  cat-like  glitter  of  them  set  his 
blood  tingling.  What  strange  adventure  was 
46 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

this  old  man  dragging  him  into?  What  were 
the  motives,  the  reasoning,  the  plot  that  lay  be- 
hind this  mysterious  creature's  apparent  faith  in 
him?  He  tried  to  answer  these  things  in  the 
passing  of  a  moment  before  he  replied.  The 
councilor  saw  his  hesitancy  and  smiled. 

"  I  will  show  you  many  things  of  interest, 
Nat,"  he  said.  "  I  will  show  you  just  one 
to-night.  Then  you  will  make  up  your  mind, 
eh?  You  need  not  tell  me  until  then." 

He  took  the  lead  again  and  this  time  struck 
straight  down  for  the  town.  They  passed  a 
number  of  houses  built  of  logs  and  Nathaniel 
caught  narrow  gleams  of  light  from  between 
close-drawn  curtains.  In  one  of  these  houses  he 
heard  the  crying  of  children,  and  with  a  return 
of  his  grisly  humor  Obadiah  Price  prodded  him 
in  the  ribs  and  said, 

"  Good   old   Israel  Laeng   lives   there  —  two 

wives,   one   old,    one   young  —  eleven    children. 

The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  open  to  him !  "     And 

from  a  second  he  heard  the  sound  of  an  organ, 

47 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

and  from  still  a  third  there  came  the  laughter 
and  chatter  of  several  feminine  voices,  and  again 
Obadiah  reached  out  and  prodded  Nathaniel  in 
the  ribs.  There  was  one  great,  gloomy,  long- 
built  place  which  they  passed,  without  a  ray  of 
light  to  give  it  life,  and  the  councilor  said, 
"  Three  widows  there,  Nat, —  fight  like  cats  and 
dogs.  Poor  Job  killed  himself."  They  avoided 
the  more  thickly  populated  part  of  the  settlement 
and  encountered  few  people,  which  seemed  to 
please  the  councilor.  Once  they  overtook  and 
passed  a  group  of  women  clad  in  short  skirts  and 
loose  waists  and  with  their  hair  hanging  in 
braids  down  their  backs.  For  a  third  time 
Obadiah  nudged  Captain  Plum. 

"  It  is  the  king's  pleasure  that  all  women 
wear  skirts  that  come  just  below  the  knees,"  he 
whispered.  "  Some  of  them  won't  do  it  and 
he's  wondering  how  to  punish  them.  To-mor- 
row there's  going  to  be  two  public  whippings. 
One  of  the  victims  is  a  man  who  said  that  if  he 
was  a  woman  he'd  die  before  he  put  on  knee 
48 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

skirts.  After  he's  whipped  he  is  going  to  be 
made  to  wear  'em.  By  Urim  and  Thummin, 
isn't  that  choice,  Nat?  " 

He  shivered  with  quiet  laughter  and  dived  into 
a  great  block  of  darkness  where  there  seemed  to 
be  no  houses,  keeping  close  beside  Nathaniel. 
Soon  they  came  to  the  edge  of  a  grove  and  deep 
among  the  trees  Captain  Plum  caught  a  glimpse 
of  a  lighted  window.  Obadiah  Price  now  began 
to  exhibit  unusual  caution.  He  approached  the 
light  slowly,  pausing  every  few  steps  to  peer 
guardedly  about  him,  and  when  they  had  come 
very  near  to  the  window  he  pulled  his  compan- 
ion behind  a  thick  clump  of  shrubbery.  Na- 
thaniel could  hear  the  old  man's  subdued  chuckle 
and  he  bent  his  head  to  catch  what  he  was  about 
to  whisper  to  him. 

"  You  must  make  no  noise,  Nat,"  he  warned. 
"  This  is  the  castle  of  our  priest,  king  and 
prophet  —  James  Jesse  Strang.  I  am  going  to 
show  you  what  you  have  never  seen  before  and 
what  you  will  never  look  upon  again.  I  have 
49 


THE  COtJRAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

sworn  upon  the  Two  Books  and  I  will  keep  my 
oath.  And  then  —  you  will  answer  the  question 
I  asked  you  back  there." 

He  crept  out  into  the  darkness  of  the  trees 
and  Nathaniel  followed,  his  heart  throbbing  with 
excitement,  every  sense  alert,  and  one  hand  rest- 
ing on  the  butt  of  his  pistol.  He  felt  that  he 
was  nearing  the  climax  of  his  day's  adventure 
and  now,  in  the  last  moment  of  it,  his  old  cau- 
tion reasserted  itself.  He  knew  that  he  was 
among  a  dangerous  people,  men  who,  according 
to  the  laws  of  his  country,  were  criminals  in  more 
ways  than  one.  He  had  seen  much  of  their  work 
along  the  coasts  and  he  had  heard  of  more  of  it. 
He  knew  that  this  gloom  and  sullen  quiet  of 
St.  James  hid  cut-throats  and  pirates  and  thieves. 
Still  there  was  nothing  ahead  to  alarm  him. 
The  old  man  dodged  the  gleams  of  the  lighted 
window  and  slunk  around  to  the  end  of  the  great 
house.  Here,  several  feet  above  his  head,  was 
another  window,  small  and  veiled  with  the  foliage 
of  a  vine  that  clung  in  dense  masses  to  the  log 
50 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

wall.  With  the  assurance  of  one  who  had  been 
there  before  the  councilor  mounted  some  object 
under  the  window,  lifted  himself  until  his  chin 
was  on  a  level  with  the  glass,  and  peered  within. 
He  was  there  but  an  instant  and  then  fell  back, 
chuckling  and  rubbing  his  hands. 

"  Come,  Nat !  " 

He  stood  a  little  to  one  side  and  bowed  with 
mock  politeness.  For  a  moment  Captain  Plum 
hesitated.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  this 
spying  through  a  window  would  have  been  re- 
pugnant to  him.  But  at  present  something 
seemed  to  tell  him  that  it  was  not  to  satisfy  his 
curiosity  alone  that  Obadiah  Price  had  given 
him  this  opportunity.  Would  a  look  through 
that  little  window  explain  some  of  the  mysteries 
of  the  night? 

There  came  a  low  whisper  in  his  ear. 

"Do  you  smell  lilac,  Nat?     Eh?" 

The  councilor  was  grinning  at  him.     There 
was  a  suggestive  gleam  in  his  eyes.     He  rubbed 
his  hands  almost  fiercely. 
51 


THE  COURAGE  OF.  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

In  another  instant  Captain  Plum  had  stepped 
upon  the  object  beneath  the  window  and  parted 
the  leaves.  Breathlessly  he  looked  in.  A 
strange  scene  met  his  eyes.  He  was  looking  into 
a  vast  room,  illuminated  by  a  huge  hanging 
lamp  suspended  almost  on  a  level  with  his  head. 
Under  this  lamp  there  was  a  long  table  and  at 
the  table  sat  seven  women  and  one  man.  The 
man  was  at  the  end  nearest  the  window  and  all 
that  Nat  could  see  was  the  back  of  his  head  and 
shoulders.  But  the  women  were  in  full  view, 
three  on  each  side  of  the  table  and  one  at  the 
far  end.  He  guessed  the  man  to  be  Strang; 
but  he  stared  at  the  women  and  as  his  eyes  trav- 
eled back  to  the  one  facing  him  at  the  end  of  the 
table  he  could  scarcely  repress  the  exclamation 
of  surprise  that  rose  to  his  lips.  It  was  the 
girl  whom  he  had  encountered  at  the  councilor's 
cabin.  She  was  leaning  forward  as  if  in  an 
agony  of  suspense,  her  eyes  on  the  king,  her 
lips  parted,  her  hands  clutching  at  a  great  book 
which  lay  open  before  her.  Her  cheeks  were 
52 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

flushed  with  excitement.  And  even  as  he  looked 
Captain  Plum  saw  her  head  fall  suddenly  for- 
ward upon  the  table,  encircled  by  her  arms. 
The  heavy  braid  of  her  hair,  partly  undone, 
glistened  like  red  gold  in  the  lamplight.  Her 
slender  body  was  convulsed  with  sobs.  The 
woman  nearest  her  reached  over  and  laid  a  ca- 
ressing hand  on  the  bowed  head,  but  drew  it 
quickly  away  as  if  at  a  sharp  command. 

In  his  eagerness  Nathaniel  thrust  his  face 
through  the  foliage  until  his  nose  touched  the 
glass.  When  the  girl  lifted  her  head  she 
straightened  back  in  her  chair  —  and  saw  him. 
There  came  a  sudden  white  fear  in  her  face, 
a  parting  of  the  lips  as  if  she  were  on  the 
point  of  crying  out,  and  then,  before  the  others 
had  seen,  she  looked  again  at  Strang.  She  had 
discovered  him  and  yet  she  had  not  revealed  her 
discovery!  Nathaniel  could  have  shouted  for 
joy.  She  had  seen  him,  had  recognized  him! 
And  because  she  had  not  cried  out  she  wanted 
him!  He  drew  his  pistol  from  its  holster  and 
53 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

waited.  If  she  signaled  for  him,  if  she  called 
him,  he  would  burst  the  window.  The  girl  was 
talking  now  and  as  she  talked  she  lifted  her  eyes. 
Nathaniel  pressed  his  face  close  against  the 
window,  and  smiled.  That  would  let  her  know 
he  was  a  friend.  She  seemed  to  answer  him  with 
a  little  nod  and  he  fancied  that  her  eyes  glowed 
with  a  mute  appeal  for  his  assistance.  But  only 
for  an  instant,  and  then  they  turned  again  to 
the  king.  Not  until  that  moment  did  Nathaniel 
notice  upon  her  bosom  a  bunch  of  crumpled 
lilacs. 

From  below  the  iron  grip  of  the  councilor 
dragged  him  down. 

"That's  enough,"  he  whispered.  "That's 
enough  —  for  to-night."  He  saw  the  pistol  in 
Nathaniel's  hand  and  gave  a  sudden  breathless 
cry. 

"Nat  — Nat— " 

He  caught  Captain  Plum's  free  hand  in  his. 

"  Tell  me  this,  Obadiah  Price,"  whispered  the 
master  of  the  Typhoon,  "  who  is  she?  " 
54 


THE  SEVEN  WIVES 

The  councilor  stood  on  tiptoe  to  answer. 

"  They  are  the  six  wives  of  Strang,  Nat !  " 

"But  the  other?"  demanded  Nathaniel. 
"The  other  — 

"  O,  to  be  sure,  to  be  sure,"  chuckled  Obadiah. 
"  The  girl  of  the  lilacs,  eh?  Why,  she's  the 
seventh  wife,  Nat  —  that's  all,  the  seventh 
wife!" 


55 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  WARNING 

So  quickly  that  Obadiah  Price  might  not  have 
counted  ten  before  it  had  come  and  gone  the  sig- 
nificance of  his  new  situation  flashed  upon  Cap- 
tain Plum  as  he  stood  under  the  king's  window. 
His  plans  had  changed  since  leaving  ship  but 
now  he  realized  that  they  had  become  hopelessly 
involved.  He  had  intended  that  Obadiah  should 
show  him  where  Strang  was  to  be  found,  and  that 
later,  when  ostensibly  returning  to  his  vessel,  he 
would  visit  the  prophet  in  his  home.  Whatever 
the  interview  brought  forth  he  would  still  be  in 
a  position  to  deliver  the  councilor's  package. 
Even  an  hour's  bombardment  of  St.  James 
would  not  interfere  with  the  fulfilment  of  his 
oath.  But  those  few  minutes  at  the  king's  win- 
56 


THE  WARNING 

dow  had  been  fatal  to  the  scheme  he  had  built. 
The  girl  had  seen  him.  She  had  not  betrayed 
his  presence.  She  had  called  to  him  with  her 
eyes  —  he  would  have  staked  his  life  on  that. 
What  did  it  all  mean?  He  turned  to  Obadiah. 
The  old  man  was  grimacing  and  twisting  his 
hands  nervously.  He  seemed  half  afraid,  cring- 
ing, as  if  fearing  a  blow.  The  sight  of  him  set 
Nathaniel's  blood  afire.  His  white  face  seemed 
to  verify  the  terrible  thought  that  had  leaped 
into  his  brain.  Suddenly  he  heard  a  faint  cry  — 
a  woman's  voice  —  and  in  an  instant  he  was  back 
at  the  window.  The  girl  had  risen  to  her  feet 
and  stood  facing  him.  This  time,  as  her  eyes 
met  his  own,  he  saw  in  them  a  flashing  warning, 
and  he  obeyed  it  as  if  she  had  spoken  to  him.  As 
he  dropped  silently  back  to  the  ground  the 
councilor  came  close  to  his  side. 

"  That's  enough  for  to-night,  Nat,"  he  whis- 
pered. 

He  made  as  if  to  slip  away  but  Nathaniel  de- 
tained him  with  an  emphatic  hand. 
57 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  Not  yet,  Dad !  I'd  like  to  have  a  word  with 
—  this  — ?» 

"With  Strang's  wife,"  chuckled  Obadiah. 
"  Ho,  ho,  ho,  Nat,  you're  a  rascal! "  The  old 
man's  face  was  mapped  with  wrinkles,  his  eyes 
glowed  with  joyous  approbation.  "  You  shall, 
Nat,  you  shall!  You  love  a  pretty  face,  eh? 
You  shall  meet  Mrs.  Strang,  Nat,  and  you  shall 
make  love  to  her  if  you  wish.  I  swear  that,  too. 
But  not  to-night,  Nat  —  not  to-night." 

He  stood  a  pace  away  and  rubbed  his  hands. 

"  There  will  be  no  chance  to-night,  Nat  — 
but  to-morrow  night,  or  the  next.  O,  I  prom- 
ise you  shall  meet  her,  and  make  love  to  her,  Nat ! 
Ho,  if  Strang  knew,  if  Strang  only  knew !  " 

There  was  something  so  fiendishly  gloating  in 
the  councilor's  attitude,  in  his  face,  in  the  hot 
glow  of  his  eyes,  that  for  a  moment  Nathaniel's 
involuntary  liking  for  the  little  old  man  before 
him  turned  to  abhorrence.  The  passion,  the 
triumph  of  the  man,  convinced  him  where  words 
had  failed.  The  girl  was  Strang's  wife.  His 
58 


THE  WARNING 

last  doubt  was  dispelled.  And  because  she  was 
Strang's  wife  Obadiah  hated  the  Mormon 
prophet.  The  councilor  had  spoken  with  fate- 
ful assurance  —  that  he  should  meet  her,  that  he 
should  make  love  to  her.  It  was  an  assurance 
that  made  him  shudder.  As  he  followed  in  si- 
lence up  out  of  the  gloom  of  the  town  he  strove, 
but  in  vain,  to  find  whether  sin  had  lurked  in  the 
sweet  face  that  had  appealed  to  him  in  its  misery 
—  whether  there  had  been  a  flash  of  something 
besides  terror,  besides  prayerful  entreaty,  in  the 
lovely  eyes  that  had  met  his  own.  Obadiah 
spoke  no  word  to  break  in  on  his  thoughts.  Now 
and  then  the  old  man's  insane  chucklings  floated 
softly  to  Nathaniel's  ears,  and  when  at  last  they 
came  to  the  cabin  in  the  forest  he  broke  into  a 
low  laugh  that  echoed  weirdly  in  the  great  black 
room  which  they  entered.  He  lighted  another 
candle  and  approached  a  ladder  which  led 
through  a  trap  in  the  ceiling.  Without  a  word 
he  mounted  this  ladder,  and  Nathaniel  followed 
him,  finding  himself  a  moment  later  in  a  small 
59 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

low  room  furnished  with  a  bed.  The  councilor 
placed  his  candle  on  a  table  close  beside  it  and 
rubbed  his  hands  until  it  seemed  they  must  burn. 

"You  will  stay  —  eh,  Nat?"  he  cried,  bob- 
bing his  head.  "  Yes,  you  will  stay,  and  you 
will  give  me  back  the  package  for  a  day  or  two." 
He  retreated  to  the  trap  and  slid  down  it  as 
quickly  as  a  rat.  "  Pleasant  dreams  to  you, 
Nat,  and  —  O,  wait  a  minute !  "  Captain  Plum 
could  hear  him  pattering  quickly  over  the  floor 
below.  In  a  moment  he  was  back,  thrusting  his 
white  grimacing  face  through  the  trap  and 
tossed  something  upon  the  bed.  "  She  left  them 
last  night,  Nat.  Pleasant  dreams,  pleasant 
dreams,"  and  he  was  gone. 

Nathaniel  turned  to  the  bed  and  picked  up  a 
faded  bunch  of  lilacs.  Then  he  sat  down, 
loaded  his  pipe,  and  smoked  until  he  could  hardly 
see  the  walls  of  his  little  room.  From  the  mo- 
ment of  his  landing  on  the  island  he  turned  the 
events  of  the  day  over  in  his  mind.  Yet  when 
he  arrived  at  the  end  of  them  he  was  no  less  mys- 
60 


THE  WARNING 

tified  than  when  he  began.  Who  was  Obadiah 
Price?  Who  was  the  girl  that  fate  had  so  mys- 
teriously associated  with-  his  movements  thus 
far?  What  was  the  plot  in  which  he  had  acci- 
dentally become  involved?  With  tireless  tenacity 
he  hung  to  these  questions  for  hours.  That 
there  was  a  plot  of  some  kind  he  had  not  the 
least  doubt.  The  councilor's  strange  actions, 
the  oath,  the  package,  and  above  all  the  scene  in 
the  king's  house  convinced  him  of  that.  And 
he  was  sure  that  Obadiah's  night  visitor  —  the 
girl  with  the  lilacs  —  was  playing  a  vital  part  in 
it. 

He  plucked  at  the  withered  flowers  which  the 
old  man  had  thrown  him.  He  could  detect  their 
sweet  scent  above  the  pungent  fumes  of  to- 
bacco and  as  Obadiah's  triumphant  chuckle  re- 
curred to  him,  the  gloating  joy  in  his  eyes,  the 
passionate  tremble  of  his  voice,  a  grim  smile 
passed  over  his  face.  The  mystery  was  easy  of 
solution  —  if  he  was  willing  to  reason  along  cer- 
tain lines.  But  he  was  not  willing.  He  had 
61 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

formed  his  own  picture  of  Strang's  wife  and  it 
pleased  him  to  keep  it.  At  moments  he  half 
conceded  himself  a  fool,  but  that  did  not  trouble 
him.  The  longer  he  smoked  the  more  his  old 
confidence  and  his  old  recklessness  returned  to 
him.  He  had  enjoyed  his  adventure.  The  next 
day  he  would  end  it.  He  would  go  openly 
into  St.  James  and  have  done  his  business  with 
Strang.  Then  he  would  return  to  his  ship. 
What  had  he,  Captain  Plum,  to  do  with 
Strang's  wife? 

But  even  after  he  had  determined  on  these 
things  his  brain  refused  to  rest.  He  paced  back 
and  forth  across  the  narrow  room,  thinking  of 
the  man  whom  he  was  to  meet  to-morrow  —  of 
Strang,  the  one-time  schoolmaster  and  temper- 
ance lecturer  who  had  made  himself  a  king,  who 
for  seven  years  had  defied  the  state  and  nation, 
and  who  had  made  of  his  island  stronghold  a 
hot-bed  of  polygamy,  of  licentiousness,  of  disso- 
lute power.  His  blood  grew  hot  as  he  thought 
again  of  the  beautiful  girl  who  had  appealed  to 
62 


THE  WARNING 

him.  Obadiah  had  said  that  she  was  the  king's 
wife.  Still  — 

Thoughts  flashed  into  his  head  which  for  a 
time  made  him  forget  his  mission  on  the  island. 
In  spite  of  his  resolution  to  keep  to  his  own 
scheme  he  found  himself,  after  a  little,  thinking 
only  of  the  Mormon  king,  and  the  lovely  face  he 
had  seen  through  the  castle  window.  He  knew 
much  about  the  man  with  whom  he  was  to  deal 
to-morrow.  He  knew  that  he  had  been  a  rival 
of  Brigham  Young  and  that  when  the  exodus  of 
the  Mormons  to  the  deserts  of  the  west  came  he 
had  led  his  own  followers  into  the  North,  and 
that  each  July,  amid  barbaric  festivities,  he  was 
recrowned  with  a  circlet  of  gold.  But  the  girl! 
If  she  was  the  king's  wife  why  had  her  eyes 
called  to  him  for  help  ? 

The  question  crowded  Nathaniel's  brain  with  a 
hundred  thrilling  pictures.  With  a  shudder  he 
thought  of  the  terrible  power  the  Mormon  king 
held  not  only  over  his  own  people  but  over  the 
Gentiles  of  the  mainlands  as  well.  With  these 
63 


THE  COURAGE  OP  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

mainlanders,  he  regarded  Beaver  Island  as  a  nest 
of  pirates  and  murderers.  He  knew  of  the  dep- 
redations of  Strang  and  his  people  among  the 
fishermen  and  settlers,  of  the  piratical  expeditions 
of  his  armed  boats,  of  the  dreaded  raids  of  his 
sheriffs,  and  of  the  crimes  that  made  the  women 
of  the  shores  tremble  and  turn  white  at  the  mere 
mention  of  his  name. 

Was  it  possible  that  this  girl  — 

Captain  Plum  did  not  let  himself  finish  the 
thought.  With  a  powerful  effort  he  brought 
himself  back  to  his  own  business  on  the  island, 
smoked  another  pipe,  and  undressed.  He  went 
to  bed  with  the  withered  lilacs  on  the  table  close 
beside  him.  He  fell  asleep  with  their  scent  in 
his  nostrils.  When  he  awoke  they  were  gone. 
He  started  up  in  astonishment  when  he  saw  what 
had  taken  their  place.  Obadiah  had  visited  him 
while  he  slept.  The  table  was  spread  with  a 
white  cloth  and  upon  it  was  his  breakfast,  a  pot 
of  coffee  still  steaming,  and  the  whole  of  a  cold 
baked  fowl.  Near-by,  upon  a  chair,  was  a  basin 
64 


THE  WARNING 

of  water,  soap  and  a  towel.  Nathaniel  rolled 
from  his  bed  with  a  healthy  laugh  of  pleasure. 
The  councilor  was  at  least  a  courteous  host, 
and  his  liking  for  the  curious  old  man  promptly 
increased.  There  was  a  sheet  of  paper  on  his 
plate  upon  which  Obadiah  had  scribbled  the  fol- 
lowing words: 

"  My  dear  Nat :  —  Make  yourself  at  home. 
I  will  be  away  to-day  but  will  see  you  again  to- 
night. Don't  be  surprised  if  somebody  makes 
you  a  visit." 

The  "  somebody "  was  heavily  underscored 
and  Nathaniel's  pulse  quickened  and  a  sudden 
flush  of  excitement  surged  into  his  face  as  he 
read  the  meaning  of  it.  The  "  somebody  "  was 
Strang's  wife.  There  could  be  no  other  inter- 
pretation. He  went  to  the  trap  and  called  down 
for  Obadiah  but  there  was  no  answer.  The 
councilor  had  already  gone.  Quickly  eating 
his  breakfast  the  master  of  the  Typhoon  climbed 
down  the  ladder  into  the  room  below.  The  re- 
65 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

mains  of  the  councilor's  breakfast  were  on  a 
table  near  the  door,  and  the  door  was  open. 
Through  it  came  a  glory  of  sunshine  and  the 
fresh  breath  of  the  forest  laden  with  the  per- 
fume of  wild  flowers  and  balsam.  A  thousand 
birds  seemed  caroling  and  twittering  in  the  sun- 
lit solitude  about  the  cabin.  Beyond  this  there 
was  no  other  sound  or  sign  of  life.  For  many 
minutes  Nathaniel  stood  in  the  open,  his  eyes  on 
the  path  along  which  he  knew  that  Strang's  wife 
would  come  —  if  she  came  at  all.  Suddenly  he 
began  to  examine  the  ground  where  the  girl  had 
stood  the  previous  night.  The  dainty  imprints 
of  her  feet  were  plainly  discernible  in  the  soft 
earth.  Then  he  went  to  the  path  —  and  with 
a  laugh  so  loud  that  it  startled  the  birds  into 
silence  he  set  off  with  long  strides  in  the  direc- 
tion of  St.  James.  From  the  footprints  in  that 
path  it  was  quite  evident  that  Strang's  wife  was 
a  frequent  visitor  at  Obadiah's. 

At  the  edge  of  the  forest,  from  where  he  could 
see  the  log  house  situated  across  the  opening, 
66 


THE  WARNING 

Nathaniel  paused.  He  had  made  up  his  mind 
that  the  girl  whom  he  had  seen  through  the 
king's  window  was  in  some  way  associated  with 
it.  Obadiah  had  hinted  as  much  and  she  had 
come  from  there  on  her  way  to  Strang's.  But 
as  the  prophet's  wives  lived  in  his  castle  at  St. 
James  this  surely  could  not  be  her  home.  More 
than  ever  he  was  puzzled.  As  he  looked  he  saw 
a  figure  suddenly  appear  from  among  the  mass 
of  lilac  bushes  that  almost  concealed  the  cabin. 
An  involuntary  exclamation  of  satisfaction  es- 
caped him  and  he  drew  back  deeper  among  the 
trees.  It  was  the  councilor  who  had  shown  him- 
self. For  a  few  moments  the  old  man  stood 
gazing  in  the  direction  of  St.  James  as  if  watch- 
ing for  the  approach  of  other  persons.  Then 
he  dodged  cautiously  along  the  edge  of  the 
bushes,  keeping  half  within  their  cover,  and 
moved  swiftly  in  the  opposite  direction  toward 
the  center  of  the  island.  Nathaniel's  blood 
leaped  with  a  desire  to  follow.  The  night  before 
he  had  guessed  that  Obadiah  with  his  gold  and 
67 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

his  smoldering  passion  was  not  a  man  to  isolate 
himself  in  the  heart  of  the  forest.  Here  — 
across  the  open  —  was  evidence  of  another  side 
of  his  life.  In  that  great  square-built  domicile 
of  logs,  screened  so  perfectly  by  flowering  lilac, 
lived  Obadiah's  wives.  Captain  Plum  laughed 
aloud  and  beat  the  bowl  of  his  pipe  on  the  tree 
beside  him.  And  the  girl  lived  there  —  or  came 
from  there  to  the  woodland  cabin  so  frequently 
that  her  feet  had  beaten  a  well-worn  path.  Had 
the  councilor  lied  to  him?  Was  the  girl  he  had 
seen  through  the  King's  window  one  of  the  seven 
wives  of  Strang  —  or  was  she  the  wife  of  Oba- 
diah  Price? 

The  thought  was  one  that  thrilled  him.  If 
the  girl  was  the  councilor's  wife  what  was  the 
motive  of  Obadiah's  falsehood?  And  if  she  was 
Strang's  wife  why  had  her  feet  —  and  hers 
alone  with  the  exception  of  the  old  man's  — 
worn  this  path  from  the  lilac  smothered  house 
to  the  cabin  in  the  woods?  The  captain  of  the 
Typhoon  regretted  now  that  he  had  given  such 
68 


THE  WARNING 

explicit  orders  to  Casey.  Otherwise  he  would 
have  followed  the  figure  that  was  already  dis- 
appearing into  the  forest  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  clearing.  But  now  he  must  see  Strang. 
There  might  be  delay,  necessary  delay,  and  if  it 
so  happened  that  his  own  blundering  curiosity 
kept  him  on  the  island  until  sundown : —  well,  he 
smiled  as  he  thought  of  what  Casey  would  do. 

Refilling  his  pipe  and  leaving  a  trail  of  smoke 
behind  him  he  set  out  boldly  for  St.  James. 
When  he  came  to  the  three  graves  he  stopped, 
remembering  that  Obadiah  had  said  they  were 
his  graves.  A  sort  of  grim  horror  began  to 
stir  at  his  soul  as  he  gazed  on  the  grass-grown 
mounds  —  proofs  that  the  old  councilor  would 
inherit  a  place  in  the  Mormon  Heaven  having 
obeyed  the  injunctions  of  his  prophet  on  earth. 
Nathaniel  now  understood  the  meaning  of  his 
words  of  the  night  before.  This  was  the  fam- 
ily burying  ground  of  the  old  councilor. 

He  walked  on,  trying  in  vain  to  concentrate 
his  mind  solely  upon  the  business  that  was  ahead 
69 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

of  him.  A  few  days  before  he  would  have 
counted  this  walk  to  St.  James  one  of  the  events 
of  his  life.  Now  it  had  lost  its  fascination. 
Despite  his  efforts  to  destroy  the  vision  of  the 
beautiful  face  that  had  looked  at  him  through 
the  king's  window  its  memory  still  haunted  him. 
The  eyes,  soft  with  appeal ;  the  red  mouth,  quiv- 
ering, and  with  lips  parted  as  if  about  to  speak 
to  him;  the  bowed  head  with  its  tumbled  glory 
of  hair  —  all  had  burned  themselves  upon  his 
soul  in  a  picture  too  deep  to  be  eradicated.  If 
St.  James  was  interesting  now  it  was  because 
that  face  was  a  part  of  it,  because  the  secret 
of  its  life,  of  the  misery  that  it  had  confessed 
to  him,  was  hidden  somewhere  down  there  among 
its  scattered  log  homes. 

Slowly  he  made  his  way  down  the  slope  in  the 
direction  of  Strang's  castle,  the  tower  of  which, 
surmounted  by  its  great  beacon,  glistened  in  the 
morning  sun.  He  would  find  Strang  there. 
And  there  would  be  one  chance  in  a  thousand  of 
seeing  the  girl  —  if  Obadiah  had  spoken  the 
70 


THE  WARNING 

truth.  As  he  passed  down  he  met  men  and  boys 
coming  up  the  slope  and  others  moving  along  at 
the  bottom  of  it,  all  going  toward  the  interior  of 
the  island.  They  had  shovels  or  rakes  or  hoes 
upon  their  shoulders  and  he  guessed  that  the 
Mormon  fields  were  in  that  direction ;  others  bore 
axes;  and  now  and  then  wagons,  many  of  them 
drawn  by  oxen,  left  the  town  over  the  road  that 
ran  near  the  shore  of  the  lake.  Those  whom  he 
met  stared  at  him  curiously,  much  interested 
evidently  in  the  appearance  of  a  stranger.  Na- 
thaniel paid  but  small  heed  to  them.  As  he  en- 
tered the  grove  through  which  the  councilor  had 
guided  him  the  night  before  his  eagerness  be- 
came almost  excitement.  He  approached  the 
great  log  house  swiftly  but  cautiously,  keeping 
as  much  from  view  as  possible.  As  he  came  un- 
der the  window  through  which  he  had  looked 
upon  the  king  and  his  wives  his  heart  leaped 
with  anticipation,  with  hope  that  was  strangely 
mingled  with  fear.  For  only  a  moment  he 
paused  to  listen,  and  notwithstanding  the  serious- 
71 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

ness  of  his  position  he  could  not  repress  a  smile 
as  there  came  to  his  ears  the  crying  of  children 
and  the  high  angry  voice  of  a  woman.  He 
passed  around  to  the  front  of  the  house.  The 
door  of  Strang's  castle  was  wide  open  and  un- 
guarded. No  one  had  seen  his  approach ;  no  one 
accosted  him  as  he  mounted  the  low  steps ;  there 
was  no  one  in  the  room  into  which  he  gazed  a 
moment  later.  It  was  the  great  hall  into  which 
he  had  spied  a  few  hours  previous.  There  was 
the  long  table  with  the  big  book  on  it,  the  lamp 
whose  light  had  bathed  the  girl's  head  in  a  halo 
of  glory,  the  very  chair  in  which  he  had  found 
her  sitting!  He  was  conscious  of  a  throbbing 
in  his  breast,  a  longing  to  call  out  —  if  he  only 
knew  her  name. 

In  the  room  there  were  four  closed  doors  and 
it  was  from  beyond  these  that  there  came  to  him 
the  wailing  of  children.  A  fifth  door  was  open 
and  through  it  he  saw  a  cradle  gently  rocking. 
Here  at  last  was  visible  life,  or  motion  at  least, 
and  he  knocked  loudly.  Very  gradually  the 
72 


THE  WARNING 

cradle  ceased  its  movement.  Then  it  stopped, 
and  a  woman  came  out  into  the  larger  room.  In 
a  moment  Nathaniel  recognized  her  as  the  one 
who  had  placed  a  caressing  hand  upon  the  bowed 
head  of  the  sobbing  girl  the  night  before.  Her 
face  was  of  pathetic  beauty.  Its  whiteness  was 
startling.  Her  eyes  shone  with  an  unhealthy 
luster,  and  her  dark  hair,  falling  in  heavy  curls 
over  her  shoulder,  added  to  the  wonderful  pallor 
of  her  cheeks. 

Nathaniel  bowed.  "  I  beg  your  pardon, 
madam ;  I  came  to  see  Mr.  Strang,"  he  said. 

"  You  will  find  the  king  at  his  office,"  she  re- 
plied. 

The  woman's  voice  was  low,  but  so  sweet  that 
it  was  like  music  to  the  ear.  As  she  spoke  she 
came  nearer  and  a  faint  flush  appeared  in  the 
transparency  of  her  cheek. 

"  Why  do  you  wish  to  see  the  king  ?  "  she 
asked. 

Was  there  a  tremble  of  fear  in  her  voice? 
Even  as  he  looked  Nathaniel  saw  the  flush  deepen 
73 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

in  her  cheeks  and  her  eyes  light  with  nervous 
eagerness. 

"  I  am  sent  by  Obadiah  Price,"  he  hazarded. 

A  flash  of  relief  shot  into  the  woman's  face. 

"  The  king  is  at  his  office,"  she  repeated. 
"  His  office  is  near  the  temple." 

Nathaniel  retired  with  another  bow. 

"  By  thunder,  Strang,  old  boy,  you've  cer- 
tainly got  an  eye  for  beauty ! "  he  laughed  as 
he  hurried  through  the  grove. 

"  And  Obadiah  Price  must  be  somebody,  after 
all!" 

The  Mormon  temple  was  the  largest  structure 
in  St.  James,  a  huge  square  building  of  hewn 
logs,  and  Nathaniel  did  not  need  to  make  inquiry 
to  find  it.  On  one  side  was  a  two-story  building 
with  an  outside  stairway  leading  to  the  upper 
floor,  and  a  painted  sign  announced  that  on  this 
second  floor  was  situated  the  office  of  James  Jesse 
Strang,  priest,  king  and  prophet  of  the  Mor- 
mons. It  was  still  very  early  and  the  general 
merchandise  store  below  was  not  open.  Con- 
74 


THE  WARNING 

gratulating  himself  on  this  fact,  and  with  the 
fingers  of  his  right  hand  reaching  instinctively 
for  his  pistol  butt,  Captain  Plum  mounted  the 
stair.  When  half  way  up  he  heard  voices.  As 
he  reached  the  landing  at  the  top  he  caught  the 
quick  swish  of  a  skirt.  Another  step  and  he 
was  in  the  open  door.  He  was  not  soon  enough 
to  see  the  person  who  had  just  disappeared 
through  an  opposite  door  but  he  knew  that  it  was 
a  woman.  Directly  in  front  of  him  as  if  she 
had  been  expecting  his  arrival  was  a  young  girl, 
and  no  sooner  had  he  put  a  foot  over  the  thresh- 
old than  she  hurried  toward  him,  the  most  acute 
anxiety  and  fear  written  in  her  face. 

"  You  are  Captain  Plum?  "  she  asked  breath- 
lessly. 

Nathaniel  stopped  in  astonishment. 

"  Yes,  I'm  — " 

"  Then  you  must  hurry  —  hurry !  "  cried  the 
girl  excitedly.      "  You  have  not   a   moment  to 
lose !     Go  back  to  your  ship  before  it  is  too  late ! 
She  says  they  will  kill  you — " 
75 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"Who  says  so?"  thundered  Captain  Plum. 
He  sprang  to  the  girl's  side  and  caught  her  by 
the  arm.  "Who  says  that  I  will  be  killed? 
Tell  me  —  who  gave  you  this  warning  for  me  ?  " 

"I  —  I  —  tell  you  so !  "  stammered  the  young 
girl.  "I  —  I  —  heard  the  king  —  they  will 
kill  you — "  Her  lips  trembled.  Nathaniel 
saw  that  her  eyes  were  already  red  from  crying. 
"  You  will  go?  "  she  pleaded. 

Nathaniel  had  taken  her  hand  and  now  he 
held  it  tightly  in  his  own.  His  head  was  thrown 
back,  his  eyes  were  upon  the  door  across  the 
room.  When  he  looked  again  into  the  girlish 
face  there  was  flashing  joyous  defiance  in  his 
eyes,  and  in  his  voice  there  was  confession  of  the 
truth  that  had  suddenly  come  to  overwhelm 
whatever  law  of  self  preservation  he  might  have 
held  unto  himself. 

"  No,  my  dear,  I  am  not  going  back  to  my 
ship,"  he  spoke  softly.  "  Not  unless  she  who  is 
in  that  room  comes  out  and  bids  me  go  herself !  " 


76 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE     WHIPPING 

SCARCE  had  the  words  fallen  from  his  lips 
when  there  sounded  a  slow,  heavy  step  on  the 
stair  outside.  The  young  girl  snatched  her 
hand  free  and  caught  Nathaniel  by  the  wrist. 

"  It  is  the  king ! "  she  whispered  excitedly. 
"  It  is  the  king !  Quick  —  you  still  have  time ! 
You  must  go  —  you  must  go  — " 

She  strove  to  pull  him  across  the  room. 

"  There  —  through  that  door !  "  she  urged. 

The  slowly  ascending  steps  were  half  way  up 
the  stairs.  Nathaniel  hesitated.  He  knew  that 
a  moment  before  there  had  passed  through  that 
door  one  who  carried  with  her  the  odor  of  lilac 
and  his  heart  leaped  to  its  own  conclusion  who 
that  person  was.  He  had  heard  the  rustle  of  the 
girl's  skirt.  He  had  seen  the  last  inch  of  the 
77 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

door  close  as  Strang's  wife  pulled  it  after  her. 
And  now  he  was  implored  to  follow !  He  sprang 
forward  as  the  heavy  steps  neared  the  landing. 
His  hand  was  upon  the  latch  —  when  he  paused. 
Then  he  turned  and  bent  his  head  close  down  to 
the  girl. 

"  No,  I  won't  do  it,  my  dear,"  he  whispered. 
"  Just  now  it  might  make  trouble  for  —  her." 

He  lifted  his  eyes  and  saw  a  man  looking  at 
him  from  the  doorway.  He  needed  no  further 
proof  to  assure  him  that  this  was  Strang  the 
king  of  the  Mormons,  for  the  Beaver  Island 
prophet  was  painted  well  in  that  region  which 
knew  the  grip  and  terror  of  his  power.  He  was 
a  massive  man,  with  the  slow  slumbering  strength 
of  a  beast.  He  was  not  much  under  fifty;  but 
his  thick  beard,  reddish  and  crinkling,  his 
shaggy  hair,  and  the  full-fed  ruddiness  of  his 
face,  with  its  foundation  of  heavy  jaw,  gave 
him  a  more  youthful  appearance.  There  was  in 
his  eyes,  set  deep  and  so  light  that  they  shone 
like  pale  blue  glass,  the  staring  assurance  that  is 
78 


THE  WHIPPING 

frequently  born  of  power.  In  his  hand  he  car- 
ried a  huge  metal-knobbed  stick. 

In  an  instant  Nathaniel  had  recovered  him- 
self. He  advanced  a  step,  bowing  coolly. 

"  I  am  Captain  Plum,  of  the  sloop  Typhoon," 
he  said.  "  I  called  at  your  home  a  short  time 
ago  and  was  directed  to  your  office.  As  a 
stranger  on  the  island  I  did  not  know  that  you 
had  an  office  or  I  would  have  come  here  first." 

"  Ah !  " 

The  king  drew  his  right  foot  back  half  a 
pace  and  bowed  so  low  that  Nathaniel  saw  only 
the  crown  of  his  hat.  When  he  raised  his  head 
the  aggressive  stare  had  gone  out  of  his  eyes  and 
a  welcoming  smile  lighted  up  his  face  as  he  ad- 
vanced with  extended  hand. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you.  Captain  Plum." 

His  voice  was  deep  and  rich,  filled  with  that 
wonderful  vibratory  power  which  seems  to  strike 
and  attune  the  hidden  chords  of  one's  soul.  The 
man's  appearance  had  not  prepossessed  Na- 
thaniel, but  at  the  sound  of  his  voice  he  recog- 
79 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

nized  that  which  had  made  him  the  prophet  of 
men.  As  the  warm  hand  of  the  king  clasped 
his  own  Captain  Plum  knew  that  he  was  in  the 
presence  of  a  master  of  human  destinies,  a  man 
whose  ponderous  red-visaged  body  was  simply 
the  crude  instrument  through  which  spoke  the 
marvelous  spirit  that  had  enslaved  thousands  to 
him,  that  had  enthralled  a  state  legislature  and 
that  had  hypnotized  a  federal  jury  into  giving 
him  back  his  freedom  when  evidence  smothered 
him  in  crime.  He  felt  himself  sinking  in  the 
presence  of  this  man  and  struggled  fiercely  to 
regain  himself.  He  withdrew  his  hand  and 
straightened  himself  like  a  soldier. 

"  I  have  come  to  you  with  a  grievance,  Mr. 
Strang,"  he  began.  "  A  grievance  which  I  feel 
sure  you  will  do  your  best  to  right.  Perhaps 
you  are  aware  that  some  little  time  ago  —  about 
two  weeks  back  —  your  people  boarded  my  ship 
in  force  and  robbed  me  of  several  thousand  dol- 
lars' worth  of  merchandise." 

Strang  had  drawn  a  step  back. 
80 


THE  WHIPPING 

"  Aware  of  it ! "  he  exclaimed  in  a  voice  that 
shook  the  room.  "  Aware  of  it ! "  The  red 
of  his  face  turned  purple  and  he  clenched  his 
free  hand  in  sudden  passion.  "  Aware  of  it !  " 
He  repeated  the  words,  this  time  so  gently  that 
Nathaniel  could  scarcely  hear  them,  and  tapped 
his  heavy  stick  upon  the  floor.  "  No,  Captain 
Plum,  I  was  not  aware  of  it.  If  I  had  been  — " 
He  shrugged  his  thick  shoulders.  The  move- 
ment, and  a  sudden  gleam  of  his  teeth  through 
his  beard,  were  expressive  enough  for  Nathaniel 
to  understand. 

Then  the  king  smiled. 

"  Are  you  sure  —  are  you  quite  sure,  Captain 
Plum,  that  it  was  my  people  who  attacked  your 
ship?  If  so,  of  course  you  must  have  some 
proof?  " 

"  We  were  very  near  to  Beaver  Island  and 
many  miles  from  the  mainland,"  said  Nathaniel. 
"  It  could  only  have  been  your  people." 

"Ah!" 

Strang  led  the  way  to  a  table  at  the  farther 
81 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

end  of  the  room  and  motioned  Nathaniel  to  a 
seat  opposite  him. 

"  We  are  a  much  persecuted  people,  Captain 
Plum,  very  much  persecuted  indeed."  His 
wonderful  voice  trembled  with  a  subdued  pathos. 
"  We  have  answered  for  many  sins  that  have 
never  been  ours,  Captain  Plum,  and  among  them 
are  robbery,  piracy  and  even  murder.  The  peo- 
ple along  the  coasts  are  deadly  enemies  to  us  — 
who  would  be  their  friends ;  they  commit  crimes 
in  our  name  and  we  do  not  retaliate.  It  was  not 
my  people  who  waylaid  your  vessel.  They  were 
fishermen,  probably,  who  came  from  the  Mich- 
igan shore  and  awaited  their  opportunity  off 
Beaver  Island.  But  I  shall  investigate  this; 
believe  me,  I  shall  investigate  this  fully,  Cap- 
tain Plum!" 

Nathaniel  felt  something  like  a  great  chok- 
ing fist  shoot  up  into  his  throat.  It  was  not  a 
sensation  of  fear  but  of  humiliation  —  the  hu- 
miliation of  defeat,  the  knowledge  of  his  own 
weakness  in  the  hands  of  this  man  who  had  so 
82 


THE  WHIPPING 

quickly  and  so  surely  blocked  his  claim.  His 
quick  brain  saw  the  futility  of  argument.  He 
possessed  no  absolute  proof  and  he  had  thought 
that  he  needed  none.  Strang  saw  the  flash  of 
doubt  in  his  face,  the  hesitancy  in  his  answer; 
he  divined  the  working  of  the  other's  brain  and 
in  his  soft  voice,  purring  with  friendship,  he  fol- 
lowed up  his  triumph. 

"  I  sympathize  with  you,"  he  spoke  gently, 
"  and  my  sympathy  and  word  shall  help  you. 
We  do  not  welcome  strangers  among  us,  for 
strangers  have  usually  proved  themselves  our 
enemies  and  have  done  us  wrong.  But  to  you  I 
give  the  freedom  of  our  kingdom.  Search 
where  you  will,  at  what  hours  you  will,  and  when 
you  have  found  a  single  proof  that  your  stolen 
property  is  among  my  people  —  when  you  have 
seen  a  face  that  you  recognize  as  one  of  the 
robbers,  return  to  me  and  I  shall  make  restitu- 
tion and  punish  the  evil-doers." 

So  intensely  he  spoke,  so  filled  with  reason 
and  truth  were  his  words,  that  Nathaniel  thrust 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

out  his  hand  in  token  of  acceptance  of  the 
king's  terms.  And  as  Strang  gripped  that 
hand  Captain  Plum  saw  the  young  girl's  face 
over  the  prophet's  shoulder  —  a  face,  white  as 
death  in  its  terror,  that  told  him  all  he  had 
heard  was  a  lie. 

"  And  when  you  have  done  with  my  people," 
continued  the  king,  "  you  will  go  among  that 
other  race,  along  the  mainland,  where  men  have 
thrown  off  the  restraints  of  society  to  give  loose 
reign  to  lust  and  avarice;  where  the  Indian 
is  brutified  that  his  wife  may  be  intoxicated  by 
compulsion  and  prostituted  by  violence  before 
his  eyes ;  where  the  forest  cabins  and  the  streets 
of  towns  are  filled  with  half-breeds ;  where  there 
stalk  wretches  with  withered  and  tearless  eyes, 
who  are  in  nowise  troubled  by  recollection  of 
robbery,  rape  and  murder.  And  there  you  will 
find  whom  you  are  looking  for !  " 

Strang  had  risen  to  his  feet.  His  eyes  blazed 
with  the  fire  of  smothered  hatred  and  passion 
and  his  great  voice  rolled  through  his  beard, 
84 


THE  WHIPPING 

tremulous  with  excitement,  but  still  deep  and 
rich,  like  the  booming  of  some  melodious  instru- 
ment. He  flung  aside  his  hat  as  he  paced  back 
and  forth;  his  shaggy  hair  fell  upon  his  shoul- 
ders ;  huge  veins  stood  out  upon  his  forehead  — 
and  Nathaniel  sat  mute  as  he  watched  this  lion 
of  a  man  whose  great  throat  quivered  with  the 
power  that  might  have  stirred  a  nation  —  that 
might  have  made  him  president  instead  of  king. 
He  waited  for  the  thunder  of  that  throat  and 
his  nerves  keyed  themselves  to  meet  its  bursting 
passion.  But  when  Strang  spoke  again  it  was 
in  a  voice  as  soft  and  as  gentle  as  a  woman's. 

"  Those  are  the  men  who  have  vilified  us,  Cap- 
tain Plum ;  who  have  covered  us  with  crimes  that 
we  have  never  committed;  who  have  driven  our 
people  into  groups  that  they  may  be  free  from 
depredation;  who  watch  like  vultures  to  despoil 
our  women;  wild  wifeless  men,  Captain  Plum, 
who  have  left  families  and  character  behind 
them  and  who  have  sought  the  wilderness  to  es- 
cape the  penalties  of  law  and  order.  It  is  they 
85 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

who  would  destroy  us.  Go  among  my  own  peo- 
ple first,  Captain  Plum,  and  find  your  lost  prop- 
erty if  you  can;  and  if  you  can  not  discover  it 
where  in  seven  years  not  one  child  has  been  born 

out  of  wedlock,  seek  among  the  Lamanites 

and  my  sheriffs  shall  follow  where  you  place  the 
crime ! " 

He  had  stretched  out  his  arms  like  one  whose 
plea  was  of  life  and  death;  his  face  shone  with 
earnestness;  his  low  words  throbbed  as  if  his 
heart  were  borne  upon  them  for  the  inspection 
of  its  truth  and  honor.  He  was  Strang  the 
tragedian,  the  orator,  the  conqueror  of  a  legisla- 
ture, a  governor,  a  dozen  juries  —  and  of  hu- 
man souls.  And  as  he  stood  silent  for  a  mo- 
ment in  this  attitude  Nathaniel  rose  to  his  feet, 
subservient,  and  believing  as  others  had  believed 
in  the  fitness  of  this  man.  But  as  his  eyes  trav- 
eled a  dozen  paces  beyond,  he  saw  the  young 
girl  gesturing  to  him  in  that  same  terror,  and 
holding  up  for  him  to  see  a  slip  of  paper  upon 
which  she  had  written.  And  when  she  had 
86 


THE  WHIPPING 

caught  his  eyes  she  crumpled  the  paper  into  a 
shapeless  ball  and  tossed  it  just  over  the  landing 
to  the  ground  below  the  stair. 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  privileges  of  the  island 
which  you  have  offered  me,"  said  Nathaniel, 
putting  on  his  hat,  "  and  I  shall  certainly  take 
advantage  of  your  kindness  for  a  few  hours,  as 
I  want  very  much  to  witness  one  of  your  cere- 
monies which  I  understand  is  to  take  place  to- 
day. Then,  if  I  have  discovered  nothing,  I 
shall  return  to  my  ship." 

"  Ah,  you  wish  to  see  the  whipping  ?  "  The 
king  smiled  his  approval.  "  That  is  one  way 
we  have  of  punishing  slight  misdemeanors  in  our 
kingdom,  Captain  Plum.  It  is  an  illustration 
of  our  intolerance  of  evil-doers."  He  turned 
suddenly  toward  the  girl.  "  Winnsome,  my  dear, 
have  you  copied  the  paper  I  was  at  work  on? 
I  wish  to  show  it  to  Captain  Plum." 

He  walked  slowly  toward  her  and  for  the  first 
time  since  her  warning  Nathaniel  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  observing  the  girl  without  fear  of 
87 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

being  perceived  by  the  prophet.  She  was  very 
young,  hardly  more  than  a  child  he  would  have 
guessed  at  first;  and  yet  at  a  second  and  more 
careful  glance  he  knew  that  she  could  not  be 
under  fifteen  —  perhaps  sixteen.  Her  whole  at- 
tire was  one  to  add  to  her  childish  appearance. 
Her  hair,  which  was  rather  short,  fell  in  lustrous 
dark  curls  about  her  face  and  upon  her  neck. 
She  wore  a  fitted  coat-like  blouse,  and  knee  skirts 
which  disclosed  a  pretty  pair  of  legs  and  ankles. 
As  Strang  was  returning  with  the  paper  which 
she  handed  to  him  the  girl  turned  her  face  to 
Captain  Plum.  Her  mouth  was  formed  into  a 
round  red  O  and  she  pointed  anxiously  to  where 
she  had  thrown  the  note.  The  king's  eyes  were 
on  his  paper  and  Nathaniel  nodded  to  assure  her 
that  he  understood. 

"  I  am  like  a  gardener  who  compels  every 
passing  neighbor  to  go  into  his  back  yard  and 
admire  his  first  sprouts,"  laughed  the  prophet 
jovially.  "  In  other  words,  I  do  a  little  writ- 
ing, and  I  take  a  kind  of  childish  joy  in  making 
88 


THE  WHIPPING 

other  people  read  it.  But  I  see  this  is  not  in 
proper  shape,  so  you  have  escaped.  It  is  a  brief 
history  of  Beaver  Island  written  at  the  request 
of  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  which  has  already 
published  an  article  of  mine.  If  you  happen  to 
be  on  the  island  to-morrow  and  should  you  re- 
turn to  this  office  I  shall  certainly  have  you  read 
it  if  I  have  to  call  all  of  my  sheriffs  into  serv- 
ice!" 

He  laughed  with  such  open  good-humor  that 
Nathaniel  found  himself  smiling  despite  the 
varied  unpleasant  sensations  within  him.  "  Do 
you  write  much?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  get  out  a  daily  paper,"  said  the  king 
rather  proudly,  "  and  of  course,  as  prophet, 
I  am  the  translator  of  what  word  may  be  handed 
down  to  us  from  Heaven  for  the  direction  and 
commandment  of  my  people.  I  hold  the  secret 
of  the  Urim  and  Thummin,  which  was  first  de- 
livered by  angels  into  the  hands  of  Joseph,  and 
with  it  have  revealed  the  word  of  God  as  it  ap- 
pears in  a  book  which  I  have  written.  Ah  — 
89 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

I  had  forgotten  this ! "  From  among  a 
mass  of  papers  and  books  on  the  table  he  drew 
forth  a  blue-covered  pamphlet  and  passed  it 
to  his  companion.  "  I  have  only  a  few  copies 
left  but  you  may  have  this  one,  Captain  Plum. 
It  will  surely  interest  you.  In  it  I  have  set 
forth  the  troubles  existing  between  my  own  peo- 
ple and  the  cyprian-rotted  criminals  that  infest 
Mackinac  and  the  mainland  and  have  described 
our  struggle  for  chastity  and  honor  against 
these  human  vultures.  It  was  published  two 
years  ago.  But  conditions  are  different  to-day. 
Now  —  now  I  am  king,  and  the  oppressors  in 
the  filth  of  their  crime  have  become  the  op- 
pressed ! " 

The  last  words  boomed  from  him  in  a  slogan 
of  triumph  and  as  if  in  echoing  mockery  there 
came  from  the  open  door  the  chuckling,  mirth- 
less laugh  of  Obadiah  Price. 

"  Yea  —  yea  —  even  into  the  land  of  the 
Lamanites  are  you  king !  " 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice  Strang  turned  to- 
90 


THE  WHIPPING 

ward  him  and  the  sonorous  triumph  that  rum- 
bled in  his  throat  faded  to  a  low  greeting.  And 
Nathaniel  saw  that  the  little  old  councilor's 
eyes  glittered  boldly  as  they  met  the  prophet's 
and  that  in  their  glance  was  neither  fear  nor 
servitude  but  rather  a  light  as  of  master  meet- 
ing master.  The  two  advanced  and  clasped 
hands  and  a  few  low  words  passed  between  them 
while  Nathaniel  went  to  the  door. 

"  I  will  go  with  you,  Captain  Nathaniel 
Plum,"  called  Obadiah.  "  I  will  go  with  you 
and  show  you  the  town." 

"  The  councilor  will  be  your  friend,"  added 
Strang.  "  To-day  he  carries  with  him  that  au- 
thority from  the  king." 

He  bowed  and  Nathaniel  passed  through  the 
door.  Looking  back  he  caught  a  last  warning 
flash  from  the  girl's  eyes.  As  he  hurried  down 
the  stair  he  heard  the  councilor  pause  for  an 
instant  upon  the  landing  and  taking  advantage 
of  this  opportunity  he  picked  up  the  bit  of 
crumpled  paper,  and  read  these  lines : 
91 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  Hurry  to  your  ship.  In  another  hour  men 
will  be  watching  for  an  opportunity  to  kill  you. 
You  will  never  leave  the  island  alive  —  unless  you 
go  now.  The  girl  you  saw  through  the  window 
sends  you  this  warning." 

He  thrust  the  paper  into  his  coat  pocket  as 
Obadiah  came  up  behind  him. 

"  Ho,  ho,  Nat,  my  boy,  I  have  come  fast  to 
catch  you  —  I  have  come  fast !  "  he  whispered. 
He  caught  his  companion  by  the  arm  and  Na- 
thaniel felt  his  hand  trembling  violently. 
"  Come  this  way,  Nat  —  beyond  the  temple. 
I  have  things  to  say  to  you."  His  voice  was 
strangely  unnatural  and  when  Captain  Plum 
looked  down  into  his  face  the  look  in  the  bead- 
like  eyes  startled  him.  "  Nat,  you  must  hurry 
away  with  the  package !  " 

"  So  I  understand  —  if  I  save  my  skin. 
Obadiah  Price,  I  have  a  notion  to  kill  you ! " 

They  had  passed  beyond  the  huge  edifice  of 
logs,  and  as  he  stopped,  hidden  from  the  view 
92 


THE  WHIPPING 

of  the  king's  office,  Nathaniel  caught  the  coun- 
cilor's arm  in  a  grip  that  crushed  to  the  bone. 

"  I  have  a  notion  to  kill  you !  "  he  repeated. 

The  old  man  stood  unflinching.  Not  a  mus- 
cle of  his  face  quivered  as  the  captain's  fingers 
sank  into  his  flesh. 

"  At  the  first  sign  of  treachery,  at  the  first 
sign  of  danger  to  myself,  I  shall  shoot  you 
dead !  "  he  finished. 

"  You  may,  Nat,  you  may.  From  this  mo- 
ment until  you  leave  the  island  I  shall  be  at  your 
side  and  no  harm  shall  come  to  you.  But  if 
there  should,  Nat,  or  if  there  should  come  a  mo- 
ment when  you  believe  that  I  am  your  enemy  — • 
shoot  me ! "  There  was  sincerity  in  his  voice 
that  carried  conviction  to  Nathaniel's  heart  and 
he  released  his  hold  upon  the  councilor's  arm. 
Regardless  of  the  mystery  that  surrounded  him 
he  believed  in  Obadiah.  But  there  rose  in  his 
breast  a  mad  desire  to  choke  this  old  man  into 
telling  him  the  truth,  to  force  him  to  reveal  the 
secrets  of  this  strange  plot  into  which  he  had 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

been  drawn  and  of  which  he  knew  as  little  as 
when  he  first  set  foot  in  Strang's  kingdom.  Yet 
he  realized  even  as  the  desire  formed  itself  in  his 
brain  that  such  an  effort  would  be  useless. 

"  If  you  had  remained  at  the  cabin,  Nat,  you 
would  have  known  that  I  was  your  friend,"  con- 
tinued Obadiah.  "  She  would  have  come  to 
you,  but  now  —  it  is  impossible.  You  know. 
You  have  been  warned?  " 

Nathaniel  drew  Winnsome's  note  from  his 
pocket  and  read  it  aloud.  Obadiah  smiled  glee- 
fully when  he  noticed  how  carefully  he  kept  the 
handwriting  from  his  eyes. 

"  Ah,  Nat,  you  are  a  noble  fellow !  "  he  cried, 
rubbing  his  hands  in  his  old  tireless  way.  "  You 
would  not  betray  pretty  little  Winn,  eh?  And 
who  do  you  suppose  told  Winnsome  to  give  you 
this  note?" 

"  Strang's  wife." 

"  Yea,  even  so.  And  it  was  she  who  set  my 
old  legs  a-running  for  you,  my  boy.  Come,  let 
us  move !  " 

94 


THE  WHIPPING 

The  little  councilor  was  his  old  self  again, 
chuckling  and  grimacing  and  rubbing  his 
hands,  and  his  eyes  danced  as  he  spoke  of  the 
girl. 

"  Casey  is  not  a  cautious  man,"  he  gurgled 
with  a  sudden  upward  leer.  "  Casey  is  a  fool !  " 

"  Casey ! "  almost  shouted  Captain  Plum. 
"  What  the  devil  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho  —  haven't  you  guessed  the  truth 
yet,  Nat?  While  you  and  I  were  getting  ac- 
quainted last  night  a  couple  of  fishermen  from 
the  mainland  dropped  alongside  your  sloop. 
They  had  been  robbed  by  the  Mormon  pirates! 
They  cursed  Strang.  They  swore  vengeance. 
And  your  cautious  Casey  cursed  with  'em,  and 
fed  'em,  and  drank  with  'em  —  and  he  would 
have  had  them  stay  until  morning  only  they 
were  anxious  to  hurry  with  their  report  to 
Strang.  Understand,  Nat  ?  Eh  ?  Do  you  un- 
derstand? " 

"What  did  Casey  tell  them?"  gasped  Na- 
thaniel. 

95 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

Obadiah  hunched  his  shoulders. 

"  Enough  to  warrant  a  bullet  through 
your  head,  Nat.  Cheerful,  isn't  it?  But  we'll 
fool  them,  Nat,  we'll  fool  them!  You  shall 
board  your  ship  and  hurry  away  with  the  pack- 
age, and  then  you  shall  make  love  to  Strang's 
wife  —  for  she  will  go  with  you!  " 

He  stopped  to  enjoy  the  amazement  that  was 
written  in  every  lineament  of  the  other's  face. 
The  red  blood  surged  into  Nathaniel's  neck  and 
deepened  on  his  bronze  cheeks.  Slowly  the  re- 
action came.  When  he  spoke  there  was  an  un- 
easy gleam  in  his  eyes  and  his  voice  was  as  hard 
as  steel. 

"  She  will  go  with  me,  Councilor !  And 
why?" 

Obadiah  had  laughed  softly  as  he  watched  the 
change.  Suddenly  he  jerked  himself  erect. 

"  Sh-h-h!  "  he  whispered.  "  Keep  cool,  Nat! 
Don't  show  any  excitement  or  fear.  Here  comes 
the  man  who  is  to  kill  you !  " 

He  made  no  move  save  with  his  eyes. 
96 


THE  WHIPPING 

"  He  is  coming  to  speak  with  me  and  to  get  a 
good  look  at  you,"  he  added  in  excited  haste. 
"Appear  friendly.  Agree  with  what  I  say. 
He  is  the  chief  of  sheriffs,  the  king's  murderer  — 
Arbor  Croche !  " 

He  turned  as  if  he  had  just  seen  the  ap- 
proaching figure.  And  he  whispered  softly, 
"Winnsome's  father!" 

Arbor  Croche!  Nathaniel  gave  an  in- 
voluntary shudder  as  he  turned  with  Obadiah. 
Croche,  chief  of  sheriffs,  scourge  of  the  main- 
land—  the  Attila  of  the  Mormon  kingdom, 
whose  very  name  caused  the  women  of  the  shores 
to  turn  white  and  on  whose  head  the  men  had 
secretly  set  a  price  in  gold!  Without  knowing 
it  his  hand  went  under  his  coat.  Obadiah  saw 
the  movement  and  as  he  advanced  to  meet  the 
officer  of  the  king  he  jerked  the  arm  back  fiercely. 
Half  a  dozen  paces  away  the  chief  of  sheriffs 
paused  and  bowed  low.  But  the  councilor  stood 
erect,  as  he  had  stood  before  the  king,  smiling 
and  nodding  his  head. 

97 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  Ah,  Croche,"  he  greeted,  "  good  morn- 
ing!" 

"  Good  morning,  Councilor !  " 

"  Sheriff,  I  would  have  you  meet  Captain 
Nathaniel  Plum,  master  of  the  sloop  Typhoon. 
Captain  Plum  this  is  His  Majesty's  officer, 
Arbor  Croche ! " 

The  two  men  advanced  and  shook  hands. 
Nathaniel  stood  half  a  head  above  the  sheriff, 
who,  like  his  master,  the  king,  was  short  and  of 
massive  build,  though  a  much  younger  man. 
He  was  a  dark  lowering  hulk  of  a  creature,  with 
black  eyes,  black  hair,  and  a  hand-clasp  that 
showed  him  possessed  of  great  strength. 

"  You  are  a  stranger,  Captain  Plum  ?  " 

The  councilor  replied  quickly. 

"  He  has  never  been  at  St.  James  before, 
sheriff.  I  have  invited  him  to  stay  over  to  see 
the  whipping.  By  the  way  — "  he  shot  a  sug- 
gestive look  at  the  officer.  "  By  the  way, 
Croche,  I  want  you  to  see  him  safely  aboard  his 
sloop  to-night.  His  ship  is  at  the  lower  end 


THE  WHIPPING 

of  the  island,  and  if  you  will  detail  a  couple  of 
men  just  before  dusk  —  an  escort,  you  know  — " 

Nathaniel  felt  a  curious  thrill  creep  up  his 
spine  at  the  satisfaction  which  betrayed  itself 
in  the  officer's  black  face. 

"  It  will  give  me  great  pleasure,  Councilor," 
he  interrupted.  "  I  shall  escort  you  myself  if 
you  will  allow  me,  Captain  Plum !  " 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Nathaniel. 

"  Captain  Plum  is  to  remain  with  me  through- 
out the  day,"  added  Obadiah.  "  Come  at  seven 
—  to  my  place.  Ah,  I  see  that  people  are  as- 
sembling near  the  jail!" 

"  We  have  changed  our  plans  somewhat, 
Councilor."  The  officer  turned  to  Nathaniel. 
"  You  will  see  the  whipping  within  half  an  hour, 
Captain  Plum."  He  turned  away  with  an- 
other bow  to  the  councilor  and  hastened  in  the 
direction  of  Strang's  office. 

"  So  that  is  the  gentleman  who  thinks  he  is 
going  to  put  a  bullet  through  me !  "  exclaimed 
Nathaniel  when  the  officer  had  gone  beyond 
99 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

hearing.  He  laughed,  and  there  was  a  kind  of 
wild  expectant  joy  in  his  voice.  "  Obadiah,  can 
you  not  make  arrangements  for  him  to  go  with 
me  alone?  " 

"  He  will  not  go  with  you  at  all,  Nat," 
gloated  the  old  man.  "  Ho,  ho,  we  are  play- 
ing at  his  own  game  —  treachery.  When  he 
calls  at  my  place  you  will  be  aboard  ship." 

"  But  I  should  like  to  have  a  talk  with  him  — 
alone,  and  in  the  woods.  God  —  I  know  a  man 
at  Grand  Traverse  Bay  whose  wife  and 
daughter  — " 

"  Sh-h-h-h ! "  interrupted  the  councilor. 
"  Would  you  kill  little  Winnsome's  father?  " 

"Her  father?  That  animal!  That  mur- 
derer! Is  it  true?" 

"  But  you  should  have  seen  her  mother,  Nat, 
you  should  have  seen  her  mother !  "  The  old 
man  twisted  his  hands,  like  a  miser  ravished  by 
the  sight  of  gold.  "  She  was  beautiful  —  as 
beautiful  as  a  wild  flower,  and  she  killed  her- 
self three  years  ago  to  save  the  birth  of  an- 
100 


THE  WHIPPING 

other  child  into  this  hell.     Little  Winn  is  like 
her  mother,  Nat." 

"  And  she  lives  with  him?  " 

"  Er,  yes  —  and  guarded,  oh,  so  carefully 
guarded  by  Strang,  Nat!  Yes,  I  guess  that 
some  day  she  will  be  a  queen." 

"  Great  God !  "  cried  the  young  man.  "  And 
you  —  you  live  in  this  cesspool  of  sin  and  still 
believe  in  a  Heaven  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  believe  in  a  Heaven.  And  rny  reward 
there  shall  be  great.  Ho,  ho,  I  am  taking  no 
middle  road,  Nat !  " 

They  had  passed  in  a  semicircle  beyond  the 
temple  and  now  approached  a  squat  building 
constructed  of  logs,  which  Obadiah  had  pointed 
out  as  the  jail.  A  glance  satisfied  Nathaniel 
that  it  was  so  situated  that  an  admirable  view 
of  the  proceedings  could  be  obtained  from  the 
rear  of  the  structure  in  which  Strang  had  his 
office.  Several  score  of  people  had  already  as- 
sembled about  the  prison  and  stood  chatting  with 
that  tense  interest  and  anticipation  with  which 
101 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

the  mob  always  awaits  public  infliction  of  the 
law's  penalties.  A  third  of  them  were  women. 
As  Nathaniel  had  previously  noted,  the  feminine 
part  of  the  Mormon  population  wore  their  hair 
either  in  braids  down  their  backs  or  in  thick 
curls  flowing  over  their  shoulders  and  with  the 
exception  of  three  or  four  were  attired  in  skirts 
that  just  concealed  their  knees.  Obadiah  halted 
his  companion  close  to  a  group  of  half  a  dozen 
of  these  women  and  nudged  him  slyly. 

"  Pretty  sight,  eh,  Nat?  "  he  chuckled.  "  Ah, 
the  king  has  a  wonderful  eye  for  beauty,  Nat 
—  wonderful  eye !  He  orders  that  no  skirt 
shall  fall  below  the  female  knee.  Ho,  ho,  if  he 
dared,  if  he  quite  dared,  Nat !  " 

He  nudged  Nathaniel  again  with  such  en- 
thusiasm that  the  latter  jumped  as  though  a 
knife  had  been  thrust  between  his  ribs. 

"  By  George,  I  admire  his  taste !  "  he  laughed. 
The  women  caught  him  staring  at  them,  and  one, 
who  was  the  youngest  and  prettiest  of  the  lot, 
smiled  invitingly. 

102 


THE  WHIPPING 

"  Tush  — •  the  Jezebel !  "  snapped  Obadiah, 
catching  the  look.  "  That's  her  child  playing 
just  beyond." 

The  young  woman  tossed  her  head  and  her 
white  teeth  gleamed  in  a  laugh,  as  though  she 
had  overheard  the  old  councilor's  words. 

"  See  her  twist  her  hair,"  he  snarled  ven- 
omously as  the  young  woman,  still  boldly  eying 
Nathaniel,  played  with  the  luxuriant  curls  that 
glistened  in  the  sun  upon  her  breast.  "  Ezra 
Wilton  is  so  fond  of  her  that  he  will  take  no 
other  wife.  Ugh,  Strang  is  a  fool !  " 

Nathaniel  turned  away  from  the  smiling  eyes 
with  a  shrug. 

"Why?" 

"  To  tell  our  women  that  it  helps  to  save 
their  souls  to  wear  short  skirts  and  let  their  hair 
hang  down.  For  every  soul  of  a  woman  that  it 
saves  it  sends  two  men  on  the  road  to  hell !  " 

So  intense  was  the  old  man's  displeasure  and 
so  ludicrous  the  twisting  contortions  of  his  face 
that  Nathaniel  could  hardly  restrain  himself 
103 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

from  bursting  into  a  roar  of  laughter.  Obadiah 
perceived  his  inclination  and  with  an  angry  bob 
of  his  head  led  the  way  through  to  the  inner 
edge  of  the  waiting  circle  of  men.  Within  this 
circle,  in  a  small  open  space,  was  a  short  post 
with  straps  attached  to  an  arm  nailed  across  it, 
and  leaning  upon  this  post  in  an  attitude  of  one 
who  possesses  a  most  distinguished  office  was  a 
young  man  with  a  three  thonged  whip  in  his 
hand.  An  ominous  silence  pervaded  the  circle, 
with  the  exception  of  the  hushed  whispering  of 
a  number  of  women  who  had  forced  themselves 
into  the  line  of  spectators,  bent  upon  witnessing 
the  sight  of  blood  as  well  as  hearing  the  sound 
of  lashes.  Nathaniel  noticed  that  most  of  the 
women  hung  in  frightened  curiosity  beyond  the 
men. 

"  That  is  MacDougall  with  the  lash  —  official 
whipper  and  caretaker  of  the  slave  hounds,"  ex- 
plained Obadiah  in  a  whisper. 

Nathaniel  gave  a  start  of  horror. 

"  Slave  hounds !  "  he  breathed. 
104 


THE  WHIPPING 

The  councilor  grinned  and  twisted  his  hands 
in  enjoyment  of  his  companion's  surprise. 

"  We  have  the  finest  pack  of  bloodhounds 
north  of  Louisiana,"  he  continued,  so  low  that 
only  Nathaniel  could  hear.  "  See !  Isn't  the 
earth  worn  smooth  and  hard  about  that  post  ?  " 

Nathaniel  looked  and  his  blood  grew  hot. 

"  I  have  seen  such  things  in  the  South,"  he 
said.  "  But  not  —  for  white  men !  " 

The  councilor  caught  him  by  the  arm. 

"  They  are  coming !  " 

In  the  direction  of  the  jail  the  crowd  was 
separating.  Men  crushed  back  on  each  side, 
forming  a  narrow  aisle,  even  the  whispering  of 
the  women  ceased.  A  moment  later  three  men 
appeared  in  the  opening  between  the  spectators. 
One  of  these,  who  walked  between  the  other  two, 
was  stripped  to  the  waist.  About  each  of  his 
naked  wrists  was  tied  a  leather  thong  and  these 
thongs  were  held  by  the  man's  guards.  The 
prisoner's  face  was  livid ;  his  hands  were  red  with 
blood  that  dripped  from  his  lacerated  wrists; 
105 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

his  eyes  glared  malignantly  and  his  heaving 
chest  showed  that  he  had  not  been  brought  from 
the  log  prison  without  a  struggle. 

"Ah,  it's  Wittle  first!"  breathed  the  coun- 
cilor. "  It's  he  who  said  his  wife  should  not 
wear  short  skirts." 

At  the  edge  of  the  circle  the  prisoner  hesi- 
tated and  the  muscles  in  his  arms  and  chest 
grew  rigid.  Those  of  the  crowd  nearest  to  him 
drew  back.  Then  a  sudden  change  swept  over 
the  man's  features  and  he  walked  quickly  to 
the  stake  and  kneeled  before  it.  The  thongs 
about  his  wrists  were  tied  to  the  straps  of  the 
cross-piece  and  the  whipper  took  his  position. 
As  the  first  lash  fell,  a  cry  burst  from  the  lips 
of  the  victim.  When  the  whip  descended  again 
he  was  silent.  A  curious  sensation  of  sickness 
crept  over  Nathaniel  as  he  saw  the  red  gashes 
thicken  on  the  white  flesh.  Five  times  —  six 
times  —  seven  times  the  whip  rose  and  fell  and 
he  could  see  the  blood  starting.  In  horror  he 
turned  his  eyes  away.  Behind  him  a  man 
106 


THE  WHIPPING 

grinned  at  the  whiteness  of  his  face  and  the  in- 
voluntary trembling  of  his  lips.  Again  and 
again  he  heard  the  lash  fall  upon  the  naked 
back.  From  near  him  there  came  the  sobbing 
moan  of  a  woman.  A  subdued  movement,  a 
sound  as  of  murmuring  wordless  voices  swept 
through  the  throng.  A  steady  glitter  filled  the 
eyes  of  the  man  who  had  laughed  at  him  —  and 
he  turned  again  to  the  stake.  The  man's  back 
was  dripping  blood.  Great  red  seams  lay  upon 
his  shoulders  and  a  single  lash  had  cut  his  bowed 
neck.  Another  stroke,  more  fierce  than  the 
others,  and  MacDougall  turned  away  from  the 
figure  at  the  post,  breathing  hard.  The  guards 
unfastened  the  victim's  wrist-thongs  and  the 
man  staggered  to  his  feet.  As  he  swayed  down 
through  the  path  that  opened  for  him  his  crim- 
son back  shone  in  the  sun. 

"  Great  God!  "  gasped  Nathaniel. 

He  turned  to  Obadiah  and  was  startled  by  the 
appearance  of  the  old  man.  The  councilor's 
face  was  ghastly.  His  mouth  twitched  and  his 
107 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

body  trembled.  Nathaniel  took  his  arm  sym- 
pathetically. 

"  Hadn't  we  better  go,  Dad?  "  he  whispered. 

"  No  —  no  —  no  —  not  yet,  Nat.  It's  — 
it's  —  Neil  now  and  I  must  see  how  the  boy  — 
stands  it!" 

It  was  but  a  short  time  before  the  guards  re- 
turned. This  time  their  prisoner  walked  free 
and  erect.  The  thongs  dangled  from  his  wrists 
and  he  was  a  pace  ahead  of  the  two  men  who  ac- 
companied him.  He  was  a  young  man.  Na- 
thaniel judged  his  age  at  twenty-five.  He  was  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  man  who  had  suffered 
first  at  the  post.  His  face  instead  of  betraying 
the  former's  pallor  was  flushed  with  excitement ; 
!  his  head  was  held  high ;  not  a  sign  of  fear  or 
hesitation  shone  in  his  eyes.  As  he  glanced 
quickly  around  the  circle  of  faces  the  flush  grew 
deeper  in  his  cheeks.  He  nodded  and  smiled  at 
MacDougall  and  in  that  nod  and  smile  there 
was  a  meaning  that  sent  a  shiver  to  the  whip- 
master's  heart.  Then  his  eyes  fell  upon  Obadiah 
108 


THE  WHIPPING 

and  Nathaniel.  He  saw  the  councilor's  hand 
resting  upon  the  young  captain's  arm  and  a 
flash  of  understanding  passed  over  his  face. 
For  an  instant  the  eyes  of  the  two  young  men 
met.  The  man  at  the  post  took  half  a  step  for- 
ward. His  lips  moved  as  if  he  was  on  the  point 
of  speaking,  the  defiant  smile  went  out  of  his 
face,  the  flush  faded  in  his  cheeks.  Then  he 
turned  quickly  and  held  out  his  hands  to  the 
guards. 

As  the  young  man  kneeled  before  the  post 
Nathaniel  heard  a  smothered  sob  at  his  side 
which  he  knew  came  from  Obadiah. 

"Come,  Dad,"  he  said  softly.  "I  can't 
stand  this.  Let's  get  away !  " 

He  shoved  the  councilor  back.  The  lash 
whistled  through  the  air  behind  him.  As  it  fell 
there  came  a  piercing  cry.  It  was  a  woman's 
voice,  and  with  a  snarl  like  that  of  a  tortured 
animal  the  old  man  struck  down  Nathaniel's 
arm  and  clawed  his  way  back  to  the  edge  of  the 
line.  On  the  opposite  side  there  was  a  surging 
109 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

in  the  crowd  and  as  MacDougall  raised  his  whip 
a  woman  burst  through. 

"My  God!"  cried  Nathaniel,  "it's—" 
He  left  the  rest  of  the  words  unspoken.  His 
veins  leaped  with  fire.  A  single  sweep  of  his 
powerful  arms  and  he  had  forced  himself 
through  the  innermost  line  of  spectators. 
Within  a  dozen  feet  of  him  stood  Strang's  wife, 
her  beautiful  hair  disheveled,  her  face  deadly 
white,  her  bosom  heaving  as  if  she  had  been  run- 
ning. In  a  moment  her  eyes  had  taken  in  the 
situation  —  the  man  at  the  stake,  the  upraised 
lash  —  and  Nathaniel.  With  a  sobbing,  breath- 
less cry,  she  flung  herself  in  front  of  Mac- 
Dougall and  threw  her  arms  around  the  kneeling 
man,  her  hair  covering  him  in  a  glistening  veil. 
For  an  instant  her  eyes  were  raised  to  Nathaniel 
and  he  saw  in  them  that  same  agonized  appeal 
that  had  called  to  him  through  the  king's  win- 
dow. The  striking  muscles  of  his  arms  tight- 
ened like  steel.  One  of  the  guards  sprang  for- 
ward and  caught  the  girl  roughly  by  the  arm 
110 


She  flung  herself  in  front  of  MacDougall. — Page  no 


THE  WHIPPING 

and  attempted  to  drag  her  away.  In  his  ex- 
citement he  pulled  her  head  back  and  her  hair 
trailed  in  the  dirt.  The  sight  was  maddening. 
From  Nathaniel's  throat  there  came  a  fierce  cry 
and  in  a  single  leap  he  had  cleared  the  distance 
to  the  guard  and  had  driven  his  fist  against  the 
officer's  head  with  the  sickening  force  of  a  sledge- 
hammer. The  man  fell  without  a  groan.  In 
another  flash  he  had  drawn  his  knife  and  severed 
the  thongs  that  held  the  man  at  the  stake.  For 
a  moment  his  face  was  very  near  the  girl's  and 
he  saw  her  lips  form  the  glad  cry  which  he  did 
not  wait  to  hear. 

He  turned  like  an  enraged  beast  toward  the 
circle  of  dumfounded  spectators  and  launched 
himself  at  the  second  guard.  From  behind  him 
there  sounded  a  shout  and  he  caught  the  gleam 
of  naked  shoulders  as  the  man  who  had  been  at 
the  stake  rushed  to  his  side.  Together  they  tore 
through  the  narrow  rim  of  the  crowd,  striking 
at  the  faces  which  appeared  before  them,  their 
terrific  blows  driving  men  right  and  left. 
Ill 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  This  way,  Neil ! "  shouted  Nathaniel. 
"  This  way  —  to  the  ship !  " 

They  raced  up  the  slope  that  led  from  the 
town  to  the  forest.  Even  the  king's  officer, 
palsied  by  the  suddenness  of  the  attack,  had  not 
followed.  From  a  screened  window  in  the  king's 
building  two  men  had  witnessed  the  exciting 
scene  near  the  jail.  One  of  these  men  was 
Strang.  The  other  was  Arbor  Croche.  At  an- 
other window  a  few  feet  away,  hidden  from  their 
eyes  by  a  high  desk  and  masses  of  papers  and 
books,  Winnsome  Croche  was  crumpled  up  on 
the  floor  hardly  daring  to  breathe  through  fear 
of  betraying  her  presence.  From  these  win- 
dows they  had  seen  the  girl  run  from  behind  the 
jail;  they  had  watched  her  struggle  through  the 
line  of  spectators,  saw  Nathaniel  leap  forward 
—  saw  the  quick  blow,  the  gleaming  knife,  and 
the  escape.  So  suddenly  had  it  all  occurred  that 
not  a  sound  escaped  the  two  astonished  men. 
But  as  Nathaniel  and  Neil  burst  through  the 
crowd  and  sped  toward  the  forest  Strang's  great 
112 


THE  WHIPPING 

voice  boomed  forth  like  the  rumble  of  a  gun. 

"  Arbor  Croche,  overtake  those  men  —  and 
kill  them!" 

With  a  wild  curse  the  chief  of  sheriffs  dashed 
down  the  stairway  and  as  she  heard  him  go  the 
terror  of  Winnsome's  heart  seemed  to  turn  her 
blood  cold.  She  knew  what  that  command 
meant.  She  knew  that  her  father  would  obey  it. 
As  the  daughter  of  the  chief  of  sheriffs  more 
than  one  burning  secret  was  hidden  in  her  breast, 
more  than  one  of  those  frightful  daggers  that 
had  pricked  at  the  soul  of  her  mother  until  they 
had  murdered  her.  And  the  chief  of  them  all 
was  this:  that  to  Arbor  Croche  the  words  of 
Strang  were  the  words  of  God  and  that  if  the 
prophet  said  kill,  he  would  kill.  For  a  full  min- 
ute she  crouched  in  her  concealment,  stunned  by 
the  horror  that  had  so  quickly  taken  the  place 
of  the  joy  with  which  she  had  witnessed  the 
escape.  She  heard  Strang  leave  the  window, 
heard  his  heavy  steps  in  the  outer  room,  heard 
the  door  close,  and  knew  that  he,  too,  was  gone. 
113 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

She  sprang  to  her  feet  and  ran  to  the  window  at 
which  the  two  men  had  stood.  The  chief  of 
sheriffs  was  already  at  the  jail.  The  crowd  had 
begun  to  disperse.  Men  were  swarming  like 
ants  up  the  long  slope  reaching  to  the  forest. 
Three  or  four  of  the  leaders  were  running  and 
she  knew  that  they  were  hot  in  pursuit  of  the 
fugitives.  Others  were  following  more  slowly 
and  among  these  she  saw  that  there  were  women. 
As  she  looked  there  came  a  sound  from  the  stair. 
She  recognized  the  step.  She  recognized  the 
voice  that  called  her  name  a  moment  later  and 
with  a  despairing  cry  she  turned  with  out- 
stretched arms  to  greet  the  girl  for  whom  Na- 
thaniel had  interrupted  the  king's  whipping. 


114 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    MYSTERY 

HARDLY  had  Nathaniel  fought  his  way 
through  the  thin  crowd  of  startled  spectators 
about  the  whipping-post  before  the  enormity  of 
his  offense  in  interrupting  the  king's  justice 
dawned  upon  him.  He  was  not  sorry  that  he 
had  responded  to  the  mute  appeal  of  the  girl 
who  had  entered  so  strangely  into  his  life.  He 
rejoiced  at  the  spirit  that  had  moved  him  to 
action,  that  had  fired  his  blood  and  put  the 
strength  of  a  giant  in  his  arms;  and  his  nerves 
tingled  with  an  unreasoning  joy  that  he  had 
leaped  all  barriers  which  in  cooler  moments 
would  have  restrained  him,  and  which  fixed  in 
his  excited  brain  only  the  memory  of  the  beau- 
tiful face  that  had  sought  his  own  in  those 
crucial  moments  of  its  suffering.  The  girl  had 
115 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

turned  to  him  and  to  him  alone  among  all  those 
men.  He  had  heard  her  voice,  he  had  felt  the 
soft  sweep  of  her  hair  as  he  severed  the  prisoner's 
thongs,  he  had  caught  the  flash  of  her  eyes  and 
the  movement  of  her  lips  as  he  dashed  himself 
into  the  crowd.  And  as  he  sped  swiftly  up  the 
slope  he  considered  himself  amply  repaid  for  all 
that  he  had  done.  His  blood  was  stirred  as  if 
by  the  fire  of  sharp  wines ;  he  was  still  in  a  ten- 
sion of  fighting  excitement.  Yet  no  sooner  had 
he  fought  himself  clear  of  the  mob  than  his 
better  judgment  leaped  into  the  ascendency. 
If  danger  had  been  lurking  for  him  before  it 
was  doubly  threatening  now  and  he  was  suffi- 
ciently possessed  of  the  common  spirit  of  self- 
preservation  to  exult  at  the  speed  with  which  he 
was  enabled  to  leave  pursuit  behind.  A  single 
glance  over  his  shoulder  assured  him  that  the 
man  whom  he  had  saved  from  the  prophet's 
wrath  was  close  at  his  heels.  His  first  impulse 
was  to  direct  his  flight  toward  Obadiah's  cabin; 
his  second  to  follow  the  path  that  led  to  his  ship. 
116 


THE  MYSTERY 

At  this  hour  some  of  his  men  would  surely  be 
awaiting  him  in  a  small  boat  and  once  aboard 
the  Typhoon  he  could  continue  his  campaign 
against  the  Mormon  king  with  better  chances  of 
success  than  as  a  lone  fugitive  on  the  island. 
Besides,  he  knew  what  Casey  would  do  at  sun- 
down. 

At  the  top  of  the  slope  he  stopped  and  waited 
for  the  other  to  come  up  to  him. 

"  I've  got  a  ship  off  there,"  he  called,  point- 
ing inland.  "  Take  a  short  cut  for  the  point 
at  the  head  of  the  island.  There's  a  boat  wait- 
ing for  us !  " 

Neil  came  up  panting.  He  was  breathing  so 
hard  that  for  a  moment  he  found  it  impossible 
to  speak  but  in  his  eyes  there  was  a  look  that 
told  his  unbounded  gratitude.  They  were  clear, 
fearless  eyes,  with  the  blue  glint  of  steel  in  them 
and,  as  he  held  out  his  hands  to  Nathaniel,  they 
were  luminous  with  the  joy  of  his  deliverance. 

"  Thank  you,  Captain  Plum !  " 

He  spoke  his  companion's  name  with  the  as- 
117 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

surance  of  one  who  had  known  it  for  a  long  time. 
"  If  they  loose  the  dogs  there  will  be  no  time  for 
the  ship,"  he  added,  with  a  suggestive  hunch  of 
his  naked  shoulders.  "  Follow  me !  " 

There  was  no  alarm  in  his  voice  and  Nathan- 
iel caught  the  flashing  gleam  of  white  teeth  as 
Neil  smiled  grimly  back  at  him,  running  in  the 
lead.  From  the  man's  eyes  the  master  of  the 
Typhoon  had  sized  up  his  companion  as  a 
fighter.  The  smile  —  daring,  confident,  and  yet 
signaling  their  danger  —  assured  him  that  he 
was  right,  and  he  followed  close  behind  without 
question.  A  dozen  rods  up  the  path  Neil  turned 
into  a  dense  thicket  of  briars  and  underbrush 
and  for  ten  minutes  they  plunged  through  the 
pathless  jungle.  Now  and  then  Nathaniel  saw 
the  three  red  stripes  of  the  whipper's  lash  upon 
the  bare  shoulders  of  the  man  ahead  and  to  these 
every  step  seemed  to  add  new  wounds  made  by 
the  thorns.  As  they  came  out  upon  an  old 
roadway  the  captain  stripped  off  his  coat  and 
Neil  thrust  himself  into  it  as  they  ran. 
118 


THE  MYSTERY 

Even  in  these  first  minutes  of  their  flight  Na- 
thaniel was  thrilled  by  another  thought  than 
that  of  the  peril  behind  them.  Whom  had  he 
saved?  Who  was  this  clear-eyed  young  fellow 
for  whom  the  girl  had  so  openly  sacrificed  her- 
self at  the  whipping-post,  about  whom  she  had 
thrown  her  arms  and  covered  with  the  protec- 
tion of  her  glorious  hair?  With  his  joy  at 
having  served  her  there  was  mingled  a  chilling 
doubt  as  these  questions  formed  themselves  in 
his  mind.  Obadiah's  vague  suggestions,  the 
scene  in  the  king's  room,  the  night  visits  of  the 
girl  to  the  councilor's  cabin  —  and  last  of  all 
this  incident  at  the  jail  flashed  upon  him  now 
with  another  meaning,  with  a  significance  that 
slowly  cooled  the  enthusiasm  in  his  veins.  He 
was  sure  that  he  was  near  the  solution  of  the 
mysterious  events  in  which  he  had  become  in- 
volved, and  yet  this  knowledge  brought  with  it 
something  of  apprehension,  something  which 
made  him  anticipate  and  yet  dread  the  moment 
when  the  fugitive  ahead  would  stop  in  his  flight, 
119 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

and  he  might  ask  him  those  questions  which 
would  at  least  relieve  him  of  his  burden  of  doubt. 
They  had  traveled  a  mile  through  forest  un- 
broken by  path  or  road  when  Neil  halted  on  the 
edge  of  a  little  stream  that  ran  into  a  swamp. 
Pointing  into  the  tangled  fen  with  a  confident 
smile  he  plunged  to  his  waist  in  the  water  and 
waded  slowly  through  the  slough  into  the  gloom 
of  the  densest  alder.  A  few  minutes  later  he 
turned  in  to  the  shore  and  the  soft  bog  gave 
place  to  firm  ground.  Before  Nathaniel  had 
cleared  the  stream  he  saw  his  companion  drop 
to  his  knees  beside  a  fallen  log  and  when  he  came 
up  to  him  he  was  unwrapping  a  piece  of  canvas 
from  about  a  gun.  With  a  warning  gesture  he 
rose  to  his  feet  and  for  twenty  seconds  the  men 
stood  and  listened.  No  sound  came  to  them  but 
the  chirp  of  a  startled  squirrel  and  the  barking 
of  a  dog  in  the  direction  of  St.  James. 

"  They  haven't  turned  out  the  dogs  yet,"  said 
Neil,  holding  a  hand  against  his  heaving  chest. 
"  If  they  do  they  can't  reach  us  through  that 
120 


THE  MYSTERY 

slough."  He  leaned  his  rifle  against  the  log 
and  again  thrusting  an  arm  into  the  place  where 
it  had  been  concealed  drew  forth  a  small  box. 

"  Powder  and  ball  —  and  grub !  "  he  laughed. 
"  You  see  I  am  a  sort  of  revolutionist  and  have 
my  hiding-places.  To-morrow  —  I  will  be  a 
martyr."  He  spoke  as  quietly  as  though  his 
words  but  carried  a  careless  jest. 

"  A  martyr  ?  "  laughed  Nathaniel,  looking 
down  into  the  smiling,  sweating  face. 

"  Yes,  to-morrow  I  shall  kill  Strang." 

There  was  no  excitement  in  Neil's  voice  as  he 
stood  erect.  The  smile  did  not  leave  his  lips. 
But  in  his  eyes  there  shone  that  which  neither 
words  nor  smiling  lips  revealed,  a  reckless, 
blazing  fury  hidden  deep  in  them  —  so  deep  that 
Nathaniel  stared  to  assure  himself  what  it  was. 
The  other  saw  the  doubt  in  his  face. 

"  To-morrow  I  shall  kill  Strang,"  he  repeated. 
66 1  shall  kill  him  with  this  gun  from  under  the 
window  of  his  house  through  which  you  saw 
Marion." 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"Marion!"  exclaimed  Nathaniel.  "Marion — " 
He  leaned  forward  eagerly,  questioning.  "  Tell 
me—" 

"  My  sister,  Captain  Plum !  " 

It  seemed  to  Nathaniel  that  every  fiber  in  his 
body  was  stretched  to  the  breaking  point.  He 
reached  out,  dazed  by  what  he  had  heard  and 
with  both  hands  seized  Neil's  arm. 

"  Your  sister  —  who  came  to  you  at  the 
whipping-post?  " 

"  That  was  Marion." 

"  And  —  Strang's  wife?  " 

"  No !  "  cried  Neil.  "  No  —  not  his  wife !  " 
He  drew  back  from  Nathaniel's  touch  as  if  the 
question  had  stabbed  him  to  the  heart.  The 
passion  that  had  slumbered  in  his  eyes  burst  into 
savage  flame  and  his  face  became  suddenly  ter- 
rible to  look  upon.  There  was  hatred  there 
such  as  Nathaniel  had  never  seen;  a  ferocious, 
pitiless  hatred  that  sent  a  shuddering  thrill 
through  him  as  he  stood  before  it.  After  a  mo- 
ment the  clenched  fist  that  had  risen  above  Neil's 


THE  MYSTERY 

head  dropped  to  his  side.  Half  apologetically 
he  held  out  his  hand  to  his  companion. 

"  Captain  Plum,  we've  got  a  lot  to  thank  you 
for,  Marion  and  I,"  he  said,  a  tremble  of  the 
passing  emotion  in  his  voice.  "  Obadiah  told 
Marion  that  help  might  come  to  us  through  you 
and  Marion  brought  the  word  to  me  at  the  jail 
late  last  night  —  after  she  had  seen  you  at  the 
window.  The  old  councilor  kept  his  word! 
You  have  saved  her !  " 

"  Saved  her !  "  gasped  Nathaniel.  "  From 
what  ?  How  ?  "  A  hundred  questions  seemed 
leaping  from  his  heart  to  his  lips. 

"  From  Strang.  Good  God,  don't  you  un- 
derstand? I  tell  you  that  I  am  going  to  kill 
Strang!" 

Neil  stood  as  though  appalled  by  his  com- 
panion's incomprehension.  "  I  am  going  to 
kill  Strang,  I  tell  you !  "  he  cried  again,  the  fire 
burning  deeper  through  the  sweat  of  his  cheeks. 

Nathaniel's  bewilderment  still  shone  in  his 
face. 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  She  is  not  Strang's  wife,"  he  spoke  softly, 
as  if  to  himself.  "  And  she  is  not  — "  His  face 
flushed  as  he  nearly  spoke  the  words.  "  Obadiah 
lied ! "  He  looked  squarely  into  Neil's  eyes. 
"  No,  I  don't  understand  you.  The  councilor 
said  that  she  —  that  Marion  was  Strang's  wife. 
He  told  me  nothing  more  than  that,  nothing  of 
her  trouble,  nothing  about  you.  Until  this  mo- 
ment I  have  been  completely  mystified.  Only  her 
eyes  led  me  to  do  —  what  I  did  at  the  jail." 

Neil  gazed  at  him  in  astonishment. 

"  Obadiah  told  —  you  —  nothing?  "  he  asked 
incredulously. 

"  Not  a  word  about  you  or  Marion  except  that 
Marion  was  the  king's  seventh  wife.  But  he 
hinted  at  many  things  and  kept  me  on  the  trail, 
always  expecting,  always  watching,  and  yet 
every  hour  was  one  of  mystery.  I  am  in  the 
darkest  of  it  at  this  instant.  What  does  it  all 
mean?  Why  are  you  going  to  kill  Strang? 
Why—" 

Neil  interrupted  him  with  a  cry  so  poignant 


THE  MYSTERY 

in  its  wretchedness  that  the  last  question  died 
upon  his  lips. 

"  I  thought  that  the  councilor  had  told  you 
all,"  he  said.  "  I  thought  you  knew."  The 
disappointment  in  his  voice  was  almost  despair. 
"  Then  —  it  was  only  accidentally  —  you  helped 
us?" 

"  Only  accidentally  that  I  helped  you  — 
yes !  But  Marion  — "  Nathaniel  crushed 
Neil's  hand  in  both  his  own  and  his  eyes  be- 
trayed more  than  he  would  have  said.  "  I've 
got  an  armed  ship  and  a  dozen  men  out  there 
and  if  I  can  help  Marion  by  blowing  up  St. 
james —  I'll  do  it!" 

For  a  time  only  the  tense  breathing  of  the  two 
broke  the  silence  of  their  lips.  They  looked 
into  each  other's  face,  Nathaniel  with  all  the 
eagerness  of  the  passion  with  which  Marion  had 
stirred  his  soul,  Neil  half  doubting,  as  if  he  were 
trying  to  find  in  this  man's  eyes  the  friendship 
which  he  had  not  questioned  a  few  minutes  be- 
fore. 

125 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  Obadiah  told  you  nothing  ?  "  he  asked  again, 
as  if  still  unbelieving. 

"  Nothing." 

"  And  you  have  not  seen  Marion  —  to  talk 
with  her?" 

"  No." 

Nathaniel  had  dropped  his  companion's  hand, 
and  now  Neil  walked  to  the  log  and  sat  down 
with  his  face  turned  in  the  direction  from  which 
their  pursuers  must  come  if  they  entered  the 
swamp. 

Suddenly  the  memory  of  Obadiah's  note  shot 
into  Nathaniel's  head,  the  councilor's  admoni- 
tion, his  allusion  to  a  visitor.  With  this  mem- 
ory there  recurred  to  him  Obadiah's  words  at 
the  temple,  "  If  you  had  remained  at  the 
cabin,  Nat,  you  would  have  known  that  I  was 
your  friend.  She  would  have  come  to  you,  but 
now  —  it  is  impossible."  For  the  first  time  the 
truth  began  to  dawn  upon  him.  He  went  and 
sat  down  beside  Neil. 

"  I  am  beginning  to  understand  —  a  little," 
126 


THE  MYSTERY 

he  said.  "  Obadiah  had  planned  that  I  should 
meet  Marion,  but  I  was  a  fool  and  spoiled  his 
scheme.  If  I  had  done  as  he  told  me  I  should 
have  seen  her  this  morning." 

In  a  few  words  he  reviewed  the  events  of  the 
preceding  evening  and  of  that  morning  —  of 
his  coming  to  the  island,  his  meeting  with  Oba- 
diah, and  of  the  singular  way  in  which  he  had 
become  interested  in  Marion.  He  omitted  the 
oaths  but  told  of  Winnsome's  warning  and  of 
his  interview  with  the  Mormon  king.  When  he 
spoke  of  the  girl  as  he  had  seen  her  through  the 
king's  window,  and  of  her  appealing  face  turned 
to  him  at  the  jail,  his  voice  trembled  with  an  ex- 
citement that  deepened  the  flush  in  Neil's  cheeks. 
"  Captain  Plum,  I  thank  God  that  you  like 
Marion,"  he  said  simply.  "  After  I  kill  Strang 
will  you  help  her  ?  " 
"  Yes." 

"  You  are  willing  to  risk  — " 
"  My  life  —  my  men  —  my  ship !  " 
Nathaniel  spoke  like  one  to  whom  there  had 
127 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

been  suddenly  opened  the  portals  to  a  great  joy. 
He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  stood  before  Neil,  his 
whole  being  throbbing  with  the  emotions  which 
had  been  awakened  within  him. 

"  Good  God,  why  don't  you  tell  me  what  her 
peril  is  ?  "  he  cried,  no  longer  restraining  him- 
self. "Why  are  you  going  to  kill  Strang? 
Has  he  —  has  he  — "  His  face  flamed  with  the 
question  which  he  dared  not  finish. 

"No  — not  that!"  interrupted  Neil.  "He 
has  never  laid  a  hand  on  Marion.  She  hates  him 
as  she  hates  the  snakes  in  this  swamp.  And  yet 
—  next  Sunday  she  is  to  become  his  seventh 
wife!" 

Nathaniel  started  as  if  he  had  been  threat- 
ened by  a  blow. 

"  You  mean  —  he.  is  forcing  her  into  his 
harem?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  he  can  not  do  that !  "  exclaimed  Neil,  the 

hatred  bursting  out  anew  in  his  face.     "  He  can 

not  force  her  into  marrying  him,  and  yet  — " 

He  flung  his  arms   above  his  head   in   sudden 

128 


THE  MYSTERY 

passionate  despair.  "  As  there  is  a  God  in 
Heaven  I  would  give  ten  years  of  my  life  for  the 
secret  of  the  prophet's  power  over  Marion ! "  he 
groaned.  "  Three  months  ago  her  hatred  of 
him  was  terrible.  She  loathed  the  sight  of  him. 
I  have  seen  her  shiver  at  the  sound  of  his  voice. 
When  he  asked  her  to  become  his  wife  she  re- 
fused him  in  words  that  I  had  believed  no  person 
in  the  kingdom  would  dared  to  have  used. 
Then  —  less  than  a  month  ago  —  the  change 
came,  and  one  day  she  told  me  that  she  had  made 
up  her  mind  to  become  Strang's  wife.  From 
that  day  her  heart  was  broken.  I  was  dum- 
founded.  I  raged  and  cursed  and  even  threat- 
ened. Once  I  accused  her  of  a  shameful  thing 
and  though  I  implored  her  forgiveness  a  thou- 
sand times  I  know  that  she  weeps  over  my  brutal 
words  still.  But  nothing  could  change  her.  On 
my  knees  I  have  pleaded  with  her,  and  once  she 
flung  her  arms  round  my  shoulders  and  said, 
'  Neil,  I  can  not  tell  you  why  I  am  marrying 
Strang.  But  I  must.'  I  went  to  Strang  and 
129 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

demanded  an  explanation;  I  told  him  that  my 
sister  hated  him,  that  the  sight  of  his  face  and 
the  sound  of  his  voice  filled  her  with  abhorrence, 
but  he  only  laughed  at  me  and  asked  why  I  ob- 
jected to  becoming  the  brother-in-law  of  a 
prophet.  Day  by  day  I  have  seen  Marion's  soul 
dying  within  her.  Some  terrible  secret  is  gnaw- 
ing at  her  heart,  robbing  her  of  the  very  life 
which  a  few  weeks  ago  made  her  the  most  beau- 
tiful thing  on  this  island;  some  dreadful  in- 
fluence is  shadowing  her  every  step,  and  as  the 
day  draws  near  when  she  is  to  join  the  king's 
harem  I  see  in  her  eyes  at  times  a  look  that 
frightens  me.  There  is  only  one  salvation. 
To-morrow  I  shall  kill  Strang !  " 

"And  then?" 

Neil  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  will  shoot  him  through  the  abdomen  so 
that  he  will  live  to  tell  his  wives  who  did  the  deed. 
After  that  I  will  try  to  make  my  escape  to  the 
mainland." 

"  And  Marion  — " 

130 


THE  MYSTERY 

"  Will  not  marry  Strang !      Isn't  that  plain?  " 
"  You  have  guessed  nothing  —  no  cause  for 
the  prophet's  power  over  your  sister  ?  "  asked 
Nathaniel. 

"  Absolutely  nothing.  And  yet  that  in- 
fluence is  such  that  at  times  the  thought  of  it 
freezes  the  blood  in  my  veins.  It  is  so  great 
that  Strang  did  not  hesitate  to  throw  me  into 
jail  on  the  pretext  that  I  had  threatened  his  life. 
Marion  implored  him  to  spare  me  the  disgrace 
of  a  public  whipping  and  he  replied  by  reading 
to  her  the  commandments  of  the  kingdom.  That 
was  last  night  — •  when  you  saw  her  through  the 
window.  Strang  is  madly  infatuated  with  her 
beauty,  and  yet  he  dares  to  go  to  any  length 
without  fear  of  losing  her.  She  has  become  his 
slave.  She  is  as  completely  in  his  power  as 
though  bound  in  iron  chains.  And  the  most 
terrible  thing  about  it  all  is  that  she  has  con- 
stantly urged  me  to  leave  the  island  —  to  go, 
and  never  return.  Great  God,  what  does  it  all 
mean?  I  love  her  more  than  anything  else  on 
131 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

earth,  we  have  been  inseparable  since  the  day  she 
was  old  enough  to  toddle  alone  —  and  yet  she 
would  have  me  leave  her !  No  power  on  earth  can 
reveal  the  secret  that  is  torturing  her.  No  power 
can  make  Strang  divulge  it." 

"  And  Obadiah  Price !  "  cried  Nathaniel,  sud- 
den excitement  flashing  in  his  eyes.  "  Does  he 
not  know  ?  " 

"  I  believe  that  he  does !  "  replied  Neil,  pacing 
back  and  forth  in  his  agitation.  "  Captain 
Plum,  if  there  is  a  man  on  this  island  who  loves 
Marion  with  all  of  a  father's  devotion  it  is 
Obadiah  Price,  and  yet  he  swears  that  he  knows 
nothing  of  the  terrible  influence  which  has  so 
suddenly  enslaved  her  to  the  prophet !  He  sug- 
gests that  it  may  be  mesmerism,  but  I  — "  He 
interrupted  himself  with  a  harsh,  mirthless 
laugh.  "  Mesmerism  be  damned !  It's  not 
that!" 

"  Your  sister  —  is  —  a  Mormon,"  ventured 
Nathaniel,  remembering  what  the  prophet  had 
said  to  him  that  morning.  "  Could  it  be  her 


THE  MYSTERY 

faith  ? —  a    message    revealed    through    Strang 
from  __» 

Neil  stopped  him  almost  fiercely. 

"  Marion  is  not  a  Mormon !  "  he  said.  "  She 
hates  Mormonism  as  she  hates  Strang.  I  have 
tried  to  get  her  to  leave  the  island  with  me  but 
she  insists  on  staying  because  of  the  old  folk. 
They  are  very  old,  Captain  Plum,  and  they  be- 
lieve in  the  prophet  and  his  Heaven  as  you  and 
I  believe  in  that  blue  sky  up  there.  The  day 
before  I  was  arrested  I  begged  my  sister  to  flee 
to  the  mainland  with  me  but  she  refused  with 
the  words  that  she  had  said  to  me  a  hundred 
times  before  — '  Neil,  I  must  marry  the 
prophet ! '  Don't  you  see  there  is  nothing  to 
do  —  but  to  kill  Strang?  " 

Nathaniel  thrust  his  hand  into  a  pocket  of  the 
coat  he  had  loaned  to  Neil  and  drew  forth  his 
pipe  and  tobacco  pouch.  As  he  loaded  the  pipe 
he  looked  squarely  into  the  other's  eyes  and 
smiled. 

"  Neil,"  he  said  softly.  "  Do  you  know  that 
133 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

you  would  have  made  an  awful  fool  of  yourself 
if  I  hadn't  hove  in  sight  just  when  I  did?  " 

He  lighted  his  pipe  with  exasperating  cool- 
ness, still  smiling  over  its  bowl. 

"  You  are  not  going  to  kill  Strang  to-mor- 
row," he  added,  throwing  away  the  match  and 
placing  both  hands  on  Neil's  shoulders.  His 
eyes  were  laughing  with  the  joy  that  shone  in 
them.  "  Neil,  I  am  ashamed  of  you !  You  have 
worried  a  devilish  lot  over  a  very  simple  matter. 
See  here  — "  He  blew  a  cloud  of  smoke  over 
the  other's  head.  "  I've  learned  to  demand  some 
sort  of  pay  for  my  services  since  I  landed  on  this 
island.  Will  you  promise  to  be  —  a  sort  of 
brother  — •  to  me  —  if  I  steal  Marion  and  sail 
away  with  her  to-night  ?  " 


CHAPTER  VI 

MARION 

AT  Nathaniel's  astonishing  words  Neil  stood 
as  though  struck  suddenly  dumb. 

"  Don't  you  see  what  a  very  simple  case  it 
is  ?  "  he  continued,  en j  oying  the  other's  sur- 
prised silence.  "  You  plan  to  kill  Strang  to 
keep  Marion  from  marrying  him.  Well,  I  will 
hunt  up  Marion,  put  her  in  a  bag  if  necessary, 
and  carry  her  to  my  ship.  Isn't  that  better  and 
safer  and  just  as  sure  as  murder?  " 

The  excitement  had  gone  out  of  Neil's  face. 
The  flush  slowly  faded  from  his  cheeks  and  in 
his  eyes  there  gleamed  something  besides  the 
malevolence  of  a  few  moments  before.  As  Na- 
thaniel stepped  back  from  him  half  laughing 
and  puffing  clouds  of  smoke  from  his  pipe 
Marion's  brother  thrust  his  hands  into  his  pock- 
135 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

ets  with  an  exclamation  that  forcefully  ex- 
pressed his  appreciation  of  Captain  Plum's 
scheme. 

"  I  never  thought  of  that,"  he  added,  after  a 
moment.  "  By  Heaven,  it  will  be  easy  — " 

"  So  easy  that  I  tell  you  again  I  am  ashamed 
of  you  for  not  having  thought  of  it !  "  cried  Na- 
thaniel. "  The  first  thing  is  to  get  safely 
aboard  my  ship." 

"  We  can  do  that  within  an  hour." 

"  And  to-night  —  where  will  we  find 
Marion  ?  " 

"  At  home,"  said  Neil.  "  We  live  near  Oba- 
diah.  You  must  have  seen  the  house  as  you 
came  out  into  the  clearing  this  morning  from 
the  forest." 

Nathaniel  smiled  as  he  thought  of  his  sus- 
picions of  the  old  councilor. 

"  It  couldn't  be  better  situated  for  our  work," 
he  said.  "  Does  the  forest  run  down  to  the 
lake  on  Obadiah's  side  of  the  island?  " 

"  Clear  to  the  beach." 
136 


MARION 

Neil's  face  betrayed  a  sudden  flash  of  doubt. 

"  I  believe  that  our  place  has  been  watched 
for  some  time,"  he  explained.  "  I  am  sure  that 
it  is  especially  guarded  at  night  and  that  no 
person  leaves  or  enters  it  without  the  knowledge 
of  Strang.  I  am  certain  that  Marion  is  aware 
of  this  surveillance  although  she  professes  to  be 
wholly  ignorant  of  it.  It  may  cause  us  trou- 
ble." 

"  Can  you  reach  the  house  without  being  ob- 
served ?  " 

"  After  midnight  —  yes." 

"  Then  there  is  no  cause  for  alarm,"  declared 
Nathaniel.  "  If  necessary  I  can  bring  ten  men 
into  the  edge  of  the  woods.  Two  can  approach 
the  house  as  quietly  as  one  and  I  will  go  with 
you.  Once  there  you  can  tell  Marion  that  your 
life  depends  on  her  accompanying  you  to  Oba- 
diah's.  I  believe  she  will  go.  If  she  won't  — " 
He  stretched  out  his  arms  as  if  in  anticipation 
of  the  burden  they  might  hold.  "  If  she  won't 
—  I'll  help  you  carry  her !  " 
137 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  And  meanwhile,"  said  Neil,  "  Arbor  Croche's 
men—" 

"  Will  be  as  dead  as  herring  floaters  if  they 
show  up !  "  he  cried,  leaping  two  feet  off  the 
ground  in  his  enthusiasm.  "  I've  got  twelve  of 
the  damnedest  fighters  aboard  my  ship  that  ever 
lived  and  ten  of  them  will  be  in  the  edge  of  the 
woods !  " 

Neil's  eyes  were  shining  with  something  that 
made  Nathaniel  turn  his  own  to  the  loading  of 
his  pipe. 

"  Captain  Plum,  I  hope  I  will  be  able  to  re- 
pay you  for  this,"  he  said.  There  was  a 
trembling  break  in  his  voice  and  for  a  moment 
Nathaniel  did  not  look  up.  His  own  heart  was 
near  bursting  with  the  new  life  that  throbbed 
within  it.  When  he  raised  his  eyes  to  his  com- 
panion's face  again  there  was  a  light  in  them 
that  spoke  almost  as  plainly  as  words. 

"  You  haven't  accepted  my  price,  yet,  Neil," 
he  replied  quietly.    "  I  asked  you  if  you'd  —  be 
—  a  sort  of  brother  — " 
138 


MARION 

Neil  sprang  to  his  side  with  a  fervor  that 
knocked  the  pipe  out  of  his  hand. 

"  I  swear  that !     And  if  Marion  doesn't  — " 

Suddenly  he  jerked  himself  into  a  listening 
attitude. 

"Hark!" 

For  a  moment  the  two  ceased  to  breathe.  The 
sound  had  come  to  them  both,  low,  distant. 
After  it  there  fell  a  brief  hush.  Then  again, 
as  they  stared  questioningly  into  each  other's 
eyes,  it  rolled  faintly  into  the  swamp  —  the 
deep,  far  baying  of  a  hound. 

"  Ah !  "  exclaimed  Neil,  drawing  back  with  a 
deep  breath.  "  I  thought  they  would  do  it ! " 

"  The  bloodhounds !  " 

Horror,  not  fear,  sent  an  involuntary  shiver 
through  Nathaniel. 

"  They  can't  reach  us !  "  assured  Neil.  There 
was  the  glitter  of  triumph  in  his  eyes.  "  This 
was  to  have  been  my  way  of  escape  after  I  killed 
Strang.  A  quarter  of  a  mile  deeper  in  the 
swamp  I  have  a  canoe."  He  picked  up  the 
139 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

gun  and  box  and  began  forcing  his  way  through 
the  dense  alder  along  the  edge  of  the  stream. 
"  I'd  like  to  stay  and  murder  those  dogs,"  he 
called  back,  "  but  it  wouldn't  be  policy." 

For  a  time  the  crashing  of  their  bodies 
through  the  dense  growth  of  the  swamp  drowned 
all  other  sound.  Five  minutes  later  Neil  stopped 
on  the  edge  of  a  wide  bog.  The  hounds  were 
giving  fierce  tongue  in  the  forest  on  their  left 
and  their  nearness  sent  Nathaniel's  hand  to  his 
pistol.  Neil  saw  the  movement  and  laughed. 

"  Don't  like  the  sound,  eh?  "  he  said.  "  We 
get  used  to  it  on  Beaver  Island.  They're  just 
about  at  the  place  where  they  tore  little  Jim 
Schredder  to  pieces  a  few  weeks  back.  Schred- 
der  tried  to  kill  one  of  the  elders  for  stealing  his 
wife  while  he  was  away  on  a  night's  fishing  trip." 

He  plunged  to  his  knees  in  the  bog. 

"  They  caught  him  just  before  he  reached  the 
swamp,"  he  flung  back  over  his  shoulder. 
"  Two  minutes  more  and  he  would  have  been 
safe." 

140 


MARION 

Nathaniel,  sinking  to  his  knees  in  the  mire, 
forged  up  beside  him. 

"  Lord !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  a  breath  of  air 
brought  a  sudden  burst  of  blood-curdling  cries 
to  them.  "  If  they'd  loosed  them  on  us 
sooner  — " 

He  shivered  at  the  terrible  grimace  Neil 
turned  on  him. 

"  Had  they  slipped  the  leashes  when  we  es- 
caped, we  would  have  been  with  poor  Schredder 
now,  Captain  Plum.  By  the  way  — "  he 
stopped  a  moment  to  wipe  the  water  and  mud 
from  his  face,  " —  three  days  after  they  covered 
Schredder's  bones  with  muck  out  there,  the  elder 
took  Schredder's  wife!  She  was  too  pretty  for 
a  fisherman."  He  started  on,  but  halted  sud- 
denly with  uplifted  hand.  No  longer  could  they 
hear  the  baying  of  the  dogs.  "  They've  struck 
the  creek !  "  said  Neil.  "  Listen !  " 

After  an  interval  of  silence  there  came  a  long 
mournful  howl. 

"  Treed  —  treed  or  in  the  water,  that's  what 
141 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

the  howling  means.     How  Croche  and  his  devils 
are  hustling  now !  " 

A  curse  was  mingled  with  Neil's  breath  as  he 
forced  his  way  through  the  bog.  Twenty  rods 
farther  on  they  came  to  a  slime  covered  bit  of 
water  on  which  was  floating  a  dugout  canoe. 
Immense  relief  replaced  the  anxiety  in  Nathan- 
iel's face  as  he  climbed  into  it.  At  that  moment 
he  was  willing  to  fight  a  hundred  men  for 
Marion's  sake,  but  snakes  and  bogs  and  blood- 
hounds were  entirely  outside  his  pale  of  argu- 
ment and  he  exhibited  no  hesitation  in  betray- 
ing this  fact  to  his  companion.  For  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  Neil  forced  the  dugout  through  water 
viscid  with  slime  and  rotted  substance  before 
the  clearer  channel  of  the  creek  was  reached. 
As  they  progressed  the  stream  constantly  be- 
came deeper  and  more  navigable  until  it  finally 
began  to  show  signs  of  a  current  and  a  little 
later,  under  the  powerful  impetus  of  Neil's  pad- 
dle, the  canoe  shot  from  between  the  dense  shores 
into  the  open  lake.  A  mile  away  Nathaniel  dis- 


Neil   forced  the  dugout  through  the  water. — Page  142 


MARION 

cerned  the  point  of  forest  beyond  which  the 
Typhoon  was  hidden.  He  pointed  out  the  lo- 
cation of  the  ship  to  his  companion. 

"  You  are  sure  there  is  a  small  boat  waiting 
for  you  on  the  point  ?  "  asked  Neil. 

"  Yes,  since  early  morning." 

Neil  was  absorbed  in  thought  for  some  time 
as  he  drove  the  canoe  through  the  tall  rice  grass 
that  grew  thick  along  the  edge  of  the  shore. 

"  How  would  it  be  if  I  landed  you  on  the 
point  and  met  you  to-night  at  Obadiah's?"  he 
asked  suddenly.  "  It  is  probable  that  after  we 
get  Marion  aboard  your  ship  I  will  not  re- 
turn to  the  island  again,  and  it  is  quite  neces- 
sary that  I  run  down  the  coast  for  a  couple  of 
miles  —  for  — "  He  did  not  finish  his  reason, 
but  added :  "  I  can  make  the  whole  distance  in 
this  rice  so  there  is  no  danger  of  being  seen. 
Or  you  might  lie  off  the  point  yonder  and  I 
would  join  you  early  this  evening." 

"  That  would  be  a  better  plan  if  we  must 
separate,"  said  Nathaniel,  whose  voice  betrayed 
143 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

the  reluctance  with  which  he  assented  to  the 
projejct.  He  had  guessed  shrewdly  at  Neil's 
motive.  "  Is  it  possible  that  we  may  have  an- 
other young  lady  passenger?  "  he  asked  banter- 
ingly. 

There  was  no  answering  humor  to  this  in 
Neil's  eyes. 

"  I  wish  we  might ! "  he  said  quietly. 

"  We  can ! "  exclaimed  Nathaniel.  "  My 
ship  — " 

"  It  is  impossible.  I  am  speaking  of  Winn- 
some.  Arbor  Croche's  house  is  in  the  heart  of 
the  town  and  guarded  by  dogs.  I  doubt  if  she 
would  go,  anyway.  She  has  always  been  like 
a  little  sister  to  Marion  and  me  and  she  has  come 
to  believe  —  something  —  as  we  do.  I  hate  to 
leave  her." 

"  Obadiah  told  me  about  her  mother,"  ven- 
tured Nathaniel.  "  He  said  that  some  day 
Winnsome  will  be  a  queen." 

"  I  knew  her  mother,"  replied  Neil,  as  though 
he  had  not  heard  Nathaniel's  last  words.  He 


MARION 

looked  frankly  into  the  other's  face.  "  I  wor- 
shipped her !  " 

"  Oh-h-h !  " 

"  From  a  distance,"  he  hastened.  "  She  was 
as  pure  as  Winnsome  is  now.  Little  Winn 
looks  like  her.  Some  day  she  will  be  as  beau- 
tiful." 

"  She  is  beautiful  now." 

"  But  she  is  a  mere  child.  Why,  it  seems 
only  a  year  ago  that  I  was  toting  her  about  on 
my  shoulders!  And  —  by  George,  that  was  a 
year  before  her  mother  died!  She  is  sixteen 
now." 

Nathaniel  laughed  softly. 

"  To-morrow  she  will  be  making  love,  Neil, 
and  before  you  know  it  she  will  be  married  and 
have  a  family  of  her  own.  I  tell  you  she  is  a 
woman  —  and  if  you  are  not  a  fool  you  will 
take  her  away  with  Marion." 

With  a  powerful  stroke  of  his  paddle  Neil 
brought  the  canoe  in  to  the  shore. 

"  There !  "  he  whispered.  "  You  have  only 
145 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

to  cross  this  point  to  reach  your  boat."  He 
stretched  out  his  long  arm  and  in  the  silence  the 
two  shook  hands.  "  If  you  should  happen  to 
think  of  a  way  —  that  we  might  get  Winn- 
some  — "  he  added,  coloring. 

The  sudden  grip  of  his  companion's  fingers 
made  him  flinch. 

"We  must!"  said  Nathaniel. 

He  climbed  ashore  and  watched  Neil  until  he 
had  disappeared  in  the  wild  rice.  Then  he 
turned  into  the  woods.  He  looked  at  his  watch 
and  saw  that  it  was  only  two  o'clock.  He  was 
conscious  of  no  fatigue ;  he  was  not  conscious 
of  hunger.  To  him  the  whole  world  had  sud- 
denly opened  with  glorious  promise  and  in  the 
still  depths  of  the  forest  he  felt  like  singing  out 
his  rejoicing.  He  had  never  stopped  to  ask 
himself  what  might  be  the  end  of  this  passion 
that  had  overwhelmed  him;  he  lived  only  in  the 
present,  in  the  knowledge  that  Marion  was  not 
a  wife,  and  that  it  was  he  whom  fate  had 
chosen  for  her  deliverance.  He  reasoned 
146 


MARION 

nothing  beyond  the  sweet  eyes  that  had  called 
upon  him,  that  had  burned  their  gratitude,  their 
hope  and  their  despair  upon  his  soul;  nothing 
beyond  the  thought  that  she  would  soon  be  free 
from  the  mysterious  influence  of  the  Mormon 
king  and  that  for  days  and  nights  after  that 
she  would  be  on  the  same  ship  with  him.  He 
had  emptied  the  pockets  of  the  coat  he  had  given 
Neil  and  now  he  brought  forth  the  old  letter 
which  Obadiah  had  rescued  from  the  sands.  He 
read  it  over  again  as  he  sat  for  a  few  moments 
in  the  cool  of  the  forest  and  there  was  no  trouble 
in  his  face  now.  It  was  from  a  girl.  He  had 
known  that  girl,  years  ago,  as  Neil  knew  Winn- 
some ;  in  years  of  wandering  he  had  almost  for- 
gotten her  —  until  this  letter  came.  It  had 
brought  many  memories  back  to  him  with  shock- 
ing clearness.  The  old  folk  were  still  in  the 
little  home  under  the  hill;  they  received  his  let- 
ters ;  they  received  the  money  he  sent  them  each 
month  —  but  they  wanted  him.  The  girl  wrote 
with  merciless  candor.  He  had  been  away  four 
147 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

years  and  it  was  time  for  him  to  return.  She 
told  him  why.  She  wrote  what  they,  in  their 
loving  fear  of  inflicting  pain,  would  never  have 
dared  to  say.  At  the  end,  in  a  postscript,  she 
had  asked  for  his  congratulations  on  her  ap- 
proaching marriage. 

To  Nathaniel  this  letter  had  been  a  torment. 
He  saw  the  truth  as  he  had  never  seen  it  be- 
fore—  that  his  place  was  back  there  in  Ver- 
mont, with  his  father  and  mother;  and  that 
there  was  something  unpleasant  in  thinking  of 
the  girl  as  belonging  to  another.  But  now 
matters  had  changed.  The  letter  was  a  hope 
and  inspiration  to  him  and  he  smoothed  it  out 
with  tender  care.  What  a  refuge  that  little 
home  among  the  Vermont  hills  would  make  for 
Marion!  He  trembled  at  the  thought  and  his 
heart  sang  with  the  promise  of  it  as  he  went  his 
way  again  through  the  thick  growth  of  the 
woods. 

It  was  half  an  hour  before  he  came  out  upon 
the  beach.  Eagerly  he  scanned  the  sea.  The 
148 


MARION 

Typhoon  was  nowhere  in  sight  and  for  an  in 
stant  the  gladness  that  had  been  in  his  heart 
gave  place  to  a  chilling  fear.  But  the  direc- 
tion of  the  wind  reassured  him.  Casey  had  prob- 
ably moved  beyond  the  jutting  promontory,  that 
swung  in  the  form  of  a  cart  wheel  from  the  base 
of  the  point,  that  he  might  have  sea  room  in 
case  of  something  worse  than  a  stiff  breeze. 
But  where  was  the  small  boat?  With  every 
step  adding  to  his  anxiety  Nathaniel  hurried 
along  the  narrow  rim  of  beach.  He  went  to 
the  very  tip  of  the  point  which  reached  out  like 
the  white  forefinger  of  a  lady's  hand  into  the 
sea;  he  passed  the  spot  where  he  had  lain  con- 
cealed the  preceding  day ;  his  breath  came  faster 
and  faster ;  he  ran,  and  called  softly,  and  at  last 
halted  in  the  arch  of  the  cart  wheel  with  the 
fear  full-flaming  in  his  breast.  Over  all  those 
miles  of  sea  there  was  no  sign  of  the  sloop. 
From  end  to  end  of  the  point  there  was  no  boat. 
What  did  it  mean  ?  Breathlessly  he  tore  his  way 
through  the  strip  of  forest  on  the  promontory 
149 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

until  all  Lake  Michigan  to  the  south  lay  before 
his  eyes.  The  Typhoon  was  gone!  Was  it 
possible  that  Casey  had  abandoned  hope  of  Na- 
thaniel's return  and  was  already  lying  off  St. 
James  with  shotted  gun?  The  thought  sent  a 
shiver  of  despair  through  him.  He  passed  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  point  and  followed  it 
foot  by  foot,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  life,  no 
distant  flash  of  white  that  might  have  been  the 
canvas  of  the  sloop  Typhoon. 

There  was  only  one  thing  for  him  to  do  — 
wait.  So  he  went  to  his  hiding-place  of  the  day 
before  and  watched  the  sea  with  staring  eyes. 
An  hour  passed  and  his  still  aching  vision  saw 
no  sign  of  sail ;  two  hours  —  and  the  sun  was 
falling  in  a  blinding  glare  over  the  Wisconsin 
wilderness.  At  last  he  sprang  to  his  feet  with 
a  hopeless  cry  and  stood  for  a  few  moments  un- 
decided. Should  he  wait  until  night  with  the 
hope  of  attracting  the  attention  of  Neil  and 
joining  him  in  his  canoe  or  should  he  hasten  in 
the  direction  of  St.  James?  In  the  darkness  he 
150 


MARION 

might  miss  Neil,  unless  he  kept  up  a  constant 
shouting,  which  would  probably  bring  the  Mor- 
mons down  upon  him;  if  he  went  to  St.  James 
there  was  a  possibility  of  reaching  Casey.  He 
still  had  faith  in  Obadiah  and  he  was  sure  that 
the  old  man  would  help  him  to  reach  his  ship; 
he  might  even  assist  him  in  his  scheme  of  get- 
ting Marion  from  the  island. 

He  would  go  to  the  councilor's.  Having 
once  decided,  Nathaniel  turned  in  the  direction 
of  the  town,  avoiding  the  use  of  the  path  which 
he  and  Obadiah  had  taken,  but  following  in  the 
forest  near  enough  to  use  it  as  a  guide.  He  was 
confident  that  Arbor  Croche  and  his  sheriffs  were 
confining  their  man-hunt  to  the  swamp,  but  in 
spite  of  this  belief  he  exercised  extreme  caution, 
stopping  to  listen  now  and  then,  with  one  hand 
always  near  his  pistol.  A  quiet  gloom  filled  the 
forest  and  by  the  tree-tops  he  marked  the  going 
down  of  the  sun.  Nathaniel's  ears  ached  with 
their  strain  of  listening  for  the  rumbling  roar 
that  would  tell  of  Casey's  attack  on  St.  James. 
151 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

Suddenly  he  heard  a  crackling  in  the  under- 
brush ahead  of  him,  a  sound  that  came  not  from 
the  strain  of  listening  for  the  rumbling  roar 
and  in  a  moment  he  had  dodged  into  the  con- 
cealment of  the  huge  roots  of  an  overturned 
tree,  drawn  pistol  in  hand.  Whatever  object 
was  approaching  came  slowly,  as  if  hesitating  at 
each  step  —  a  cautious,  stealthy  advance,  it 
struck  Nathaniel,  and  he  cocked  his  weapon. 
Directly  in  front  of  him,  half  a  stone's  throw 
away,  was  a  dense  growth  of  hazel  and  he  could 
see  the  tops  of  the  slender  bushes  swaying. 
Twice  this  movement  ceased  and  the  second  time 
there  came  a  crashing  of  brush  and  a  faint  cry. 
For  many  minutes  after  that  there  was  abso- 
lute silence.  Was  it  the  cry  of  an  animal  that 
he  had  heard  —  or  of  a  man  ?  In  either  case 
the  creature  who  made  it  had  fallen  in  the  thicket 
and  was  lying  there  as  still  as  if  dead.  For  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  Nathaniel  waited  and  lis- 
tened. He  could  no  longer  have  seen  the  move- 
ment of  bushes  in  the  gathering  night-gloom 
152 


MARION 

of  the  forest  but  his  ears  were  strained  to  catch 
the  slightest  sound  from  the  direction  of  the 
mysterious  thing  that  lay  within  less  than  a 
dozen  rods  of  him.  Slowly  he  drew  himself  out 
from  the  shelter  of  the  roots  and  advanced  step 
by  step.  Half  way  to  the  thicket  a  stick  cracked 
loudly  under  his  foot  and  as  the  sound  startled 
the  dead  quiet  of  the  forest  with  pistol-shot  clear- 
ness there  came  another  cry  from  the  dense  hazel, 
a  cry  which  was  neither  that  of  man  nor  animal 
but  of  a  woman;  and  with  an  answering  shout 
Nathaniel  sprang  forward  to  meet  there  in  the 
edge  of  the  thicket  the  white  face  and  out- 
stretched arms  of  Marion.  The  girl  was  sway- 
ing on  her  feet.  In  her  face  there  was  a  pallor 
that  even  in  his  instant's  glance  sent  a  chill  of 
horror  through  the  man  and  as  she  staggered 
toward  him,  half  falling,  her  lips  weakly  form- 
ing his  name  Nathaniel  leaped  to  her  and  caught 
her  close  in  his  arms.  In  that  moment  some- 
thing seemed  to  burst  within  him  and  flood  his 
veins  with  fire.  Closer  he  held  the  girl,  and 
153 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

heavier  he  knew  that  she  was  becoming  in  his 
arms.  Her  head  was  upon  his  breast,  his  face 
was  crushed  in  her  hair,  he  felt  her  throbbing 
and  breathing  against  him  and  his  lips  quivered 
with  the  words  that  were  bursting  for  freedom  in 
his  soul.  But  first  there  came  the  girl's  own 
whispered  breath  —  "  Neil  —  where  is  Neil?  " 
"  He  is  gone  —  gone  from  the  island !  " 
She  had  become  a  dead  weight  now  and  so  he 
knelt  on  the  ground  with  her,  her  head  still  upon 
his  breast,  her  eyes  closed,  her  arms  fallen  to  her 
side.  And  as  Nathaniel  looked  into  the  face 
from  which  all  life  seemed  to  have  fled  he  forgot 
everything  but  the  joy  of  this  moment  —  for- 
got all  in  life  but  this  woman  against  his  breast. 
He  kissed  her  soft  mouth  and  the  closed  eyes  un- 
til the  eyes  themselves  opened  again  and  gazed 
at  him  in  a  startled,  half  understanding  way, 
until  he  drew  his  head  far  back  with  the  shame 
of  what  he  had  dared  to  do  flaming  in  his  face. 
And  as  for  another  moment  he  held  her  thus, 
feeling  the  quivering  life  returning  in  her,  there 
154 


MARION 

came  to  him  through  that  vast  forest  stillness 
the  distant  deep-toned  thunder  of  a  great  gun. 
"  That's  Casey !  "  he  whispered  close  down  to 
the  girl's  face.  His  voice  was  almost  sobbing 
in  its  happiness.  "  That's  Casey  —  firing  on 
St.  James!" 


155 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

FOR  perhaps  twenty  seconds  after  the  last 
echoes  of  the  gun  had  rolled  through  the  forest 
the  girl  lay  passive  in  Nathaniel's  arms,  so  close 
that  he  could  feel  her  heart  beating  against  his 
own  and  her  breath  sweeping  his  face.  Then 
there  came  a  pressure  against  his  breast,  a  gentle 
resistance  of  Marion's  half  conscious  form,  and 
when  she  had  awakened  from  her  partial  swoon 
he  was  holding  her  in  the  crook  of  his  arm.  It 
had  all  passed  quickly,  the  girl  had  rested 
against  him  only  so  long  as  he  might  have  held 
half  a  dozen  breaths  and  yet  there  had  been  all 
of  a  lifetime  in  it  for  Nathaniel  Plum,  a  cycle  of 
joy  that  he  knew  would  remain  with  him  for  ever. 
But  there  was  something  bitter-sweet  in  the 
thought  that  she  was  conscious  of  what  he  had 
156 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

done,  something  of  humiliation  as  well  as  glad- 
ness, and  still  not  enough  of  the  first  to  make 
him  regret  that  he  had  kissed  her,  that  he  had 
kissed  her  mouth  and  her  eyes.  He  loved  her, 
and  he  was  glad  that  in  those  passing  moments 
he  had  betrayed  himself.  For  the  first  time  he 
noticed  that  her  face  was  scratched  and  that 
the  sleeves  of  her  thin  waist  were  torn  to  shreds ; 
and  as  she  drew  away  from  him,  steadying  her- 
self with  a  hand  on  his  arm,  his  lips  were  parched 
of  words,  and  yet  he  leaned  to  her  eagerly,  every- 
thing that  he  would  have  said  burning  in  the 
love  of  his  eyes.  Still  irresolute  in  her  faint- 
ness  the  girl  smiled  at  him,  and  in  that  smile 
there  was  gentle  accusation,  the  sweetness  of  for- 
giveness, and  measureless  gratitude,  and  it  was 
yet  light  enough  for  him  to  see  that  with  these 
there  had  come  also  a  flush  into  her  cheeks  and  a 
dazzling  glow  into  her  eyes. 

"  Neil  has  escaped !  "  she  breathed.  "  And 
you  — " 

"  I  was  going  back  to  you,  Marion !  "  He 
157 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

spoke  the  words  hardly  above  a  whisper.  The 
beautiful  eyes  so  close  to  him  drew  his  secret 
from  him  before  he  had  thought.  "  I  am  going 
to  take  you  from  the  island ! " 

With  his  words  there  came  again  that  sound 
of  a  great  gun  rolling  from  the  direction  of  St. 
James.  With  a  frightened  cry  the  girl  stag- 
gered to  her  feet,  and  as  she  stood  swaying  un- 
steadily, her  arms  half  reached  to  him,  Nathaniel 
saw  only  mortal  dread  in  the  whiteness  of  her 
face. 

"  Why  didn't  you  go  ?  Why  didn't  you  go 
with  Neil?  "  she  moaned.  Her  breath  was  com- 
ing in  sobbing  excitement.  "  Your  ship  is  —  at 
-St.  James!" 

"  Yes,  my  ship  is  at  St.  James,  Marion !  " 
His  voice  was  tremulous  with  triumph,  with 
gladness,  with  a  tenderness  which  he  could  not 
control.  He  put  an  arm  half  round  her  waist  to 
support  her  trembling  form  and  to  his  joy  she 
did  not  move  away  from  him.  His  hand  was 
buried  in  the  richness  of  her  loose  hair.  He  bent 
158 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

until  his  lips  touched  her  silken  tresses.  "  Neil 
has  told  me  everything  —  about  you,"  he  added 
softly.  "  My  ship  is  bombarding  St.  James, 
and  I  am  going  to  take  you  from  the  island ! " 

Not  until  then  did  Marion  free  herself  from 
his  arm  and  then  so  gently  that  when  she  stood 
facing  him  he  felt  no  reproof.  No  longer  did 
shame  send  a  flush  into  his  face.  He  had  spoken 
his  love,  though  not  in  words,  and  he  knew  that 
the  girl  understood  him.  It  did  not  occur  to 
him  in  these  moments  that  he  had  known  this  girl 
for  only  a  few  hours,  that  until  now  a  word  had 
never  passed  between  them.  He  was  conscious 
only  that  he  had  loved  her  from  the  time  he  saw 
her  through  the  king's  window,  that  he  had 
risked  his  life  for  her,  and  that  she  knew  why  he 
had  leaped  into  the  arena  at  the  whipping-post. 

The  words  she  spoke  now  came  like  a  dash  of 
cold  water  in  his  face. 

"  Your  ship  is  not  bombarding  St.  James, 
Captain  Plum !  "  she  exclaimed.  Darkness  hid 
the  terror  in  her  face  but  he  could  hear  the  trem- 
159 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

ble  of  it  in  her  voice.  "  The  Typhoon  has  been 
captured  by  the  Mormons  and  those  guns  are  — 
guns  of  triumph  —  and  not  — "  She  caught 
her  breath  in  a  convulsive  sob.  "  I  want  you  to 
go  —  I  want  you  to  go  —  with  Neil !  "  she 
pleaded. 

"  So  Casey  is  taken !  " 

He  spoke  slowly,  as  if  he  had  not  heard  her 
last  words.  For  a  moment  he  stood  silent,  and 
as  silently  the  girl  stood  and  watched  him.  She 
guessed  the  despair  that  was  raging  in  his  heart 
but  when  he  spoke  to  her  she  could  detect  none 
of  it  in  his  voice. 

"  Casey  is  a  fool,"  he  said,  unconsciously  re- 
peating Obadiah's  words.  "  Marion,  will  you 
come  with  me  ?  Will  you  leave  the  island  — 
and  join  your  brother?  " 

The  hope  that  had  risen  in  his  heart  was 
crushed  as  Marion  drew  farther  away  from  him. 

"  You  must  go  alone,"  she  replied.  With  a 
powerful  effort  she  steadied  her  voice.  "  Tell 
Neil  that  he  has  been  condemned  to  death.  Tell 
160 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

him  that  —  if  he  loves  me  —  he  will  not  return 
to  the  island." 

"And  I?" 

From  her  distance  she  saw  his  arms  stretched 
like  shadows  toward  her. 

"  And  you  — " 

Her  voice  was  low,  so  low  that  he  could  hardly 
hear  the  words  she  spoke,  but  its  sweetness 
thrilled  him. 

"  And  you  —  if  you  love  me  —  will  do  this 
thing  for  me.  Go  to  Neil.  Save  his  life  for 
me!" 

She  had  come  to  him  through  the  gloom,  and 
in  the  luster  of  the  eyes  that  were  turned  up  to 
him  Nathaniel  saw  again  the  power  that  swayed 
his  soul. 

"  You  will  go?  " 

"  I  will  save  your  brother  —  if  I  can !  " 

"  You  can  —  you  can  — "  she  breathed.  In 
an  ecstasy  of  gratitude  she  seized  one  of  his 
hands  in  both  her  own.  "  You  can  save  him !  " 

"  For  you  —  I  will  try." 
161 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  For  me  — " 

She  was  so  close  that  he  could  feel  the  throb- 
bing of  her  bosom.  Suddenly  he  lifted  his  free 
hand  and  brushed  back  the  thick  hair  from  her 
brow  and  turned  her  face  until  what  dim.  light 
there  still  remained  of  the  day  glowed  in  the 
beauty  of  her  eyes.  "  I  will  keep  him  from  the 
island  if  I  can,"  he  said,  looking  deep  into  them, 
"  and  as  there  is  a  God  in  Heaven  I  swear  that 
you  — " 

"  What?  "  she  urged,  as  he  hesitated. 

"  That  you  shall  not  marry  Strang !  "  he  fin- 
ished. 

A  cry  welled  up  in  the  girl's  throat.  Was  it 
of  gladness?  Was  it  of  hope?  She  sprang 
back  a  pace  from  Nathaniel  and  with  clenched 
hands  waited  breathlessly,  as  if  she  expected  him 
to  say  more. 

"  No  —  no —  you  can  not  save  me  from 
Strang !  Now  —  you  must  go !  " 

She  retreated  slowly  in  the  direction  of  the 
path.  In  an  instant  Nathaniel  was  at  her  side. 
162 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

"  I  am  going  to  see  you  safely  back  in  St. 
James,"  he  declared.  "  Then  I  will  go  to  your 
brother." 

She  barred  his  way  defiantly. 

"  You  can  not  go !  " 

"Why?" 

"  Because  — "  He  caught  the  frightened 
flutter  of  her  voice  again.  "  Because  —  they 
will  kill  you!" 

The  low  laugh  that  he  breathed  in  her  hair 
was  more  of  j  oy  than  fear. 

"  I  am  glad  you  care  —  Marion."  He  spoke 
her  name  with  faltering  tenderness,  and  led  her 
out  into  the  path. 

"  You  must  go,"  she  still  persisted. 

"  With  you  —  yes,"  he  answered. 

She  surrendered  to  the  determination  in  his 
voice  and  they  moved  slowly  along  the  path,  lis- 
tening for  any  sound  that  might  come  from 
ahead  of  them.  Nathaniel  had  already  formed 
his  plan  of  action.  From  Marion's  words  and 
the  voice  in  which  she  had  uttered  them  he  knew 
163 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

that  it  would  be  useless  for  him  as  it  had  been 
for  Neil  to  urge  her  to  flee  from  the  island. 
There  remained  but  one  thing  for  him  to  do,  so 
he  fell  back  upon  the  scheme  which  he  had  pro- 
posed to  Marion's  brother.  He  realized  now 
that  he  might  be  compelled  to  play  the  game 
single-handed  unless  he  could  secure  assistance 
from  Obadiah.  His  ship  and  men  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  Mormons;  Neil,  in  his  search  for 
the  captured  vessel,  stood  a  large  chance  of  miss- 
ing him  that  night,  and  in  that  event  Marion's 
fate  would  depend  on  him  alone.  If  he  could 
locate  a  small  boat  on  the  beach  back  of  Oba- 
diah's ;  if  he  could  in  some  way  lure  Marion  to 
it —  He  gave  an  involuntary  shudder  at  the 
thought  of  using  force  upon  the  girl  at  his  side, 
at  the  thought  of  her  terror  of  those  first  few  mo- 
ments, her  struggles,  her  broken  confidence. 
She  believed  in  him  now.  She  believed  that  he 
loved  her.  She  trusted  him.  The  warm  soft 
pressure  of  her  hand  as  it  clung  to  his  arm  in 
the  blackening  gloom  of  the  forest  was  evidence 
164 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

of  that  trust.  She  looked  into  his  face  anx- 
iously, inquiringly  when  they  stopped  to  listen, 
like  a  child  who  was  sure  of  a  stronger  spirit  at 
her  side.  She  held  her  breath  when  he  held  his, 
she  listened  when  he  listened,  her  feet  fell  with 
velvet  stillness  when  he  stepped  with  caution. 
Her  confidence  in  him  was  like  a  beautiful  dream 
to  Nathaniel  and  he  trembled  when  he  pictured 
the  destruction  of  it.  After  a  little  he  reached 
over  and  as  if  by  accident  touched  the  hand  that 
was  lying  on  his  arm ;  he  dared  more  after  a  mo- 
ment, and  drew  the  warm  little  fingers  into  his 
great  strong  palm  and  held  them  there,  his  soul 
thrilled  by  their  gentle  submissiveness.  And 
then  in  another  breath  there  came  to  still  his  joy 
a  thought  of  the  terrible  power  that  chained  this 
girl  to  the  Mormon  king.  He  longed  to  speak 
words  of  encouragement  to  her,  to  instil  hope  in 
her  bosom,  to  ask  her  to  confide  in  him  the  secret 
of  the  shadow  which  hung  over  her,  but  the 
memory  of  what  Neil  had  said  to  him  held  his 
lips  closed. 

165 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

They  had  walked  in  silence  for  many  minutes 
when  the  girl  stopped. 

"  It  is  not  very  far  now,"  she  whispered. 
"You  must  go!" 

"  Only  a  little  farther,"  he  begged. 

She  surrendered  again,  hesitatingly,  and  they 
went  on,  more  slowly  than  before,  until  they  came 
to  where  the  path  met  the  footway  that  led  to 
Obadiah's. 

"  Now  —  now  you  must  go,"  whispered  Mar- 
ion again. 

In  this  last  moment  Nathaniel  crushed  her 
hand  against  his  breast,  his  body  throbbing  with 
a  wild  tumult,  and  a  half  of  what  he  had  meant 
not  to  say  fell  passionately  from  his  lips. 

"  Forgive  me  for  —  that  —  back  there  — 
Marion,"  he  whispered.  "  It  was  because  I  love 
you  —  love  you  — "  He  freed  her  hand  and 
stood  back,  choking  the  words  that  would  have 
revealed  his  secret.  He  lied  now  for  the  love 
of  this  girl.  "  Neil  is  out  there  waiting  for 
me  in  a  small  boat,"  he  continued,  pointing  be- 
166 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

yond  Obadiah's  to  the  lake.  "  I  will  see  him 
soon,  and  then  I  will  return  to  Obadiah's  to  tell 
you  if  he  has  left  for  the  mainland.  Will  you 
promise  to  meet  me  there  —  to-night  ?  " 

"  I  will  promise." 

"  At  midnight  — " 

"  Yes,  at  twelve  o'clock." 

This  time  it  was  Marion  who  came  to  him. 
Her  eyes  shone  like  stars. 

"  And  if  you  make  Neil  go  to  the  mainland," 
she  said  softly,  "  when  I  meet  you  I  will  —  will 
tell  you  —  something." 

The  last  word  came  in  a  breathless  sob.  As 
she  slipped  into  the  path  that  led  to  St.  James 
she  paused  for  a  moment  and  called  back,  in  a 
low  voice,  "  Tell  Neil  that  he  must  go  for  Winn- 
some's  sake.  Tell  him  that  her  fate  is  shortly  to 
be  as  cruel  as  mine  —  tell  him  that  Winnsome 
loves  him,  and  that  she  will  escape  and  come  to 
him  on  the  mainland.  Tell  him  to  go  —  go !  " 

She  turned  again,  and  Nathaniel  stood  like  a 
statue,  hardly  breathing,  until  the  sound  of  her 
167 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

feet  had  died  away.  Then  he  walked  swiftly 
up  the  foot-path  that  led  to  Obadiah's.  He  for- 
got his  own  danger  in  the  excitement  that  pul- 
sated with  every  fiber  of  his  being,  forgot  his  old 
caution  and  the  fears  that  gave  birth  to  it  —  for- 
got everything  in  those  moments  but  Marion  and 
his  own  great  happiness.  Neil's  absence  meant 
nothing  to  him  now.  He  had  held  Marion  in 
his  arms,  he  had  told  her  of  his  love,  and  though 
she  had  accepted  it  with  gentle  unresponsiveness 
he  was  thrilled  by  the  memory  of  that  last  look 
in  her  eyes,  which  had  spoken  faith,  confidence, 
and  perhaps  even  more.  What  was  that  some- 
thing she  would  tell  him  if  he  got  Neil  safely 
away?  It  was  to  be  a  reward  for  his  own  loy- 
alty —  he  knew  that,  by  the  half  fearing  tremble 
of  her  voice,  the  sobbing  catch  of  her  breath,  the 
strange  glow  in  her  eyes.  With  her  brother 
away  would  she  confide  in  him?  Would  she  tell 
him  the  secret  of  her  slavedom  to  Strang?  Na- 
thaniel was  conscious  of  no  madness  in  the  wild 
hope  that  filled  him;  nothing  seemed  impossible 
168 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

to  him  now.  Marion  would  meet  him  at  mid- 
night. She  would  go  with  him  to  the  boat,  and 
then  —  ah,  he  had  solved  the  problem !  He 
would  use  no  force.  He  would  tell  her  that  Neil 
was  in  his  canoe  half  a  mile  out  from  the  shore 
and  that  he  had  promised  to  leave  the  island  for 
good  if  she  would  go  out  to  bid  him  good-by. 
And  once  there,  a  half  a  mile  or  a  mile  away, 
he  would  tell  her  that  he  had  lied  to  her;  and  he 
would  give  her  his  heart  to  trample  upon  to 
prove  the  love  that  had  made  him  do  this  thing, 
and  then  he  would  row  her  to  the  mainland. 

It  was  the  sight  of  Obadiah's  cabin  that 
brought  his  caution  back.  He  came  upon  it  so 
suddenly  that  an  exclamation  of  surprise  fell 
unguarded  from  his  lips.  There  was  no  light  to 
betray  life  within.  He  tried  the  door  and  found 
it  locked.  He  peered  in  at  the  windows,  listened, 
and  knocked,  and  at  last  concealed  himself  near 
the  path,  confident  that  the  little  old  councilor 
was  still  at  St.  James.  For  an  hour  he  waited. 
From  the  rear  of  Obadiah's  home  a  narrow  f  oot- 
169 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

way  led  toward  the  lake  and  Nathaniel  followed 
it,  now  as  warily  as  an  animal  in  search  of  prey. 
For  half  a  mile  it  took  him  through  the  forest 
and  ended  at  the  white  sands  of  the  beach. 
In  neither  direction  could  Nathaniel  see  a  light, 
and  keeping  close  in  the  shadows  of  the  trees  he 
made  his  way  slowly  toward  St.  James.  He  had 
gone  but  a  short  distance  when  he  saw  a  house 
directly  ahead  of  him,  a  single  gleam  of  light 
from  a  small  window  telling  him  that  it  was  in- 
habited and  that  its  tenants  were  at  home.  He 
circled  down  close  to  the  water  looking  for  a 
boat.  His  heart  leaped  with  sudden  exultation 
when  he  saw  a  small  skiff  drawn  upon  the 
beach  and  his  joy  was  doubled  at  finding 
the  oars  still  in  the  locks.  It  took  him  but  a 
moment  to  shove  the  light  craft  into  the  sea  and 
a  minute  later  he  was  rowing  swiftly  away  from 
the  land. 

Nathaniel  was  certain  that  by  this  time  Neil 
had    abandoned    his    search    for    the    captured 
Typhoon   and   was   probably   paddling   in    the 
170 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

direction  of  St.  James.  With  the  hope  of  inter- 
cepting him  he  pulled  an  eighth  of  a  mile  from 
the  shore  and  rowed  slowly  toward  the  head  of 
the  island.  There  was  no  moon,  but  countless 
stars  glowed  in  a  clear  sky  and  upon  the  open 
lake  Nathaniel  could  see  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance about  him.  For  another  hour  he  rowed 
back  and  forth  and  then  beached  his  boat  within 
a  dozen  rods  of  the  path  that  came  down  from 
Obadiah's. 

It  was  ten  o'clock.  Two  more  hours !  He  had 
tried  to  suppress  his  excitement,  his  apprehen- 
sions, his  eagerness,  but  now  as  he  went  back  into 
the  darkness  of  the  forest  they  burst  out  anew. 
What  if  Marion  should  not  keep  the  tryst?  He 
thought  of  the  spies  whom  Neil  had  said  guarded 
the  girl's  home  —  and  of  Obadiah.  Could  he 
trust  the  old  councilor?  Should  he  confide  his 
plot  to  him  and  ask  his  assistance  ?  As  the  min- 
utes passed  and  these  thoughts  recurred  again 
and  again  in  his  brain  he  could  not  keep  the  nerv- 
ousness from  growing  within  him.  He  was  sure 
171 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

now  that  he  would  have  to  fight  his  battle  with- 
out Neil.  He  saw  the  necessity  of  coolness,  of 
judgment,  and  he  began  to  demand  these  things 
of  himself,  struggling  sternly  against  those 
symptoms  of  weakness  which  had  replaced  his 
confidence  of  a  short  time  before.  Gradually 
he  fought  himself  back  into  his  old  faith.  He 
would  save  Marion  —  without  Neil,  without 
Obadiah.  If  Marion  did  not  come  to  him  by 
midnight  it  would  be  because  of  the  guards 
against  whom  Neil  had  warned  him,  and  he 
would  go  to  her.  In  some  way  he  would  get  her 
to  the  boat,  even  if  he  had  to  fight  his  way 
through  Arbor  Croche's  men. 

With  this  return  of  confidence  Nathaniel's 
thoughts  reverted  to  his  present  greatest  need, 
which  was  food.  Since  early  morning  he  had 
eaten  nothing  and  he  began  to  feel  the  physical 
want  in  a  craving  that  was  becoming  acutely 
uncomfortable.  If  Obadiah  had  not  returned  to 
his  home  he  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would 
find  entrance  to  the  cabin  and  help  himself.  A 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

sudden  turn  in  the  path  which  he  was  following, 
however,  revealed  one  of  the  councilor's  windows 
aglow  with  light,  and  as  he  pressed  quietly 
around  the  end  of  the  building  the  sound  of  a 
low  voice  came  to  him  through  the  open  door. 
Cautiously  he  approached  and  peered  in.  A 
large  oil  lamp,  the  light  of  which  he  had  seen 
in  the  window,  was  burning  on  a  table  in  the 
big  room  but  the  voice  came  from  the  little  closet 
into  which  Obadiah  had  taken  him  the  preced- 
ing night.  For  several  minutes  he  crouched  and 
listened.  He  heard  the  chuckling  laugh  of  the 
old  councilor  —  and  then  an  incoherent  rav- 
ing that  set  his  blood  tingling.  There  is  a 
horror  in  the  sound  of  madness,  a  horror  that 
creeps  to  the  very  pit  of  one's  soul,  that  sends 
shivering  dread  from  every  nerve  center,  that 
causes  one  who  is  alone  with  it  to  sweat  with  a 
nameless  fear.  It  was  the  voice  of  madness  that 
came  from  that  little  room.  Before  it  Nathan- 
iel quailed  as  if  a  clammy  hand  had  reached  out 
from  the  darkness  and  gripped  him  by  the 
173 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

throat.  He  drew  back  shivering  in  every  limb, 
and  the  voice  followed  him,  shrieking  now  in  a 
sudden  burst  of  insane  mirth  and  dying  away 
a  moment  later  in  a  hollow  cackling  laugh  that 
seemed  to  curdle  the  blood  in  his  veins.  Mad! 
Obadiah  Price  was  mad !  Step  by  step  Nathan- 
iel fell  back  from  the  door.  He  felt  himself 
trembling  from  head  to  foot.  His  heart 
thumped  within  his  breast  like  the  beating  of  a 
hammer.  For  an  instant  there  was  silence  —  a 
silence  in  which  strange  dread  held  him  breath- 
less while  he  watched  the  glow  in  the  door  and 
listened.  And  after  that  quiet  there  came  sud- 
denly a  cry  that  ended  in  the  exultant  chatter- 
ing of  a  name. 

At  the  sound  of  that  name  Nathaniel  sprang 
forward  again.  It  was  Marion's  name  and  he 
strained  his  ears  to  catch  the  words  that  might 
follow  it.  As  he  listened,  his  head  thrust  half 
in  at  the  door,  Obadiah's  voice  became  lower  and 
lower,  until  at  last  it  ceased  entirely.  Not  a 
step,  not  a  deep  breath,  not  the  movement  of  a 
174 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

hand  disturbed  the  stillness  of  the  little  room. 
By  inches  Nathaniel  drew  himself  inside  the 
door.  His  heavy  boot  caught  in  a  sliver  on  the 
step  but  the  rending  of  wood  brought  no  re- 
sponse. It  was  the  quiet  of  death  that  pervaded 
the  cabin,  it  was  a  strange,  growing  fear  of 
death  that  entered  Nathaniel  as  he  now  hurried 
across  the  room  and  peered  through  the  narrow 
aperture.  The  old  councilor  was  half  stretched 
upon  the  table,  his  arms  reaching  out,  his  long, 
thin  fingers  gripping  its  edges,  his  face  buried 
under  his  shoulders.  It  looked  as  if  death  had 
come  suddenly  to  him  during  some  terrible  con- 
vulsion, but  after  a  moment  Nathaniel  saw  that 
he  was  breathing.  He  went  over  and  placed  a 
hand  on  the  old  man's  twisted  back. 

"  Hello,  Obadiah !  Hello  —  hello !  "  he  called 
cheerfully. 

A  shudder  ran  through  the  councilor's  frame, 

as  if  the  voice  had  startled  him,  his  arms  and 

body   stiffened   and   slowly   he  lifted   his   head. 

Nathaniel   tried  to  stifle  the  cry   on  his   lips, 

175 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

tried  to  smile  —  to  speak,  but  the  terrible  face 
that  stared  up  into  his  own  held  him  silent,  mo- 
tionless. He  had  heard  the  voice  of  madness, 
now  he  looked  upon  madness  in  the  eyes  that 
glared  at  him.  In  them  was  no  sign  of  recog- 
nition, no  passing  flash  of  sanity.  The  white 
face  was  lined  with  purplish  veins,  the  mouth 
was  distorted  and  the  lips  bleeding.  Involun- 
tarily he  stepped  back  to  the  end  of  the  table. 

At  his  movement  the  councilor  stretched  out 
his  arms  with  a  sobbing  moan. 

"  Nat  —  Nat  —  don't  —  go  — " 

He  fell  again  upon  his  face,  clutching  the 
table  in  a  sudden  convulsion.  In  the  next  room 
Nathaniel  had  noticed  a  pail  of  water  and  he 
brought  this  and  wet  the  old  man's  head.  For 
a  long  time  Obadiah  did  not  move,  and  when  he 
did  it  was  to  reach  out  with  a  groping  hand  to 
find  Nathaniel.  A  change  had  come  into  his 
face  when  he  lifted  it  again,  the  mad  fire  had 
partly  burned  itself  out  of  his  eyes,  the  old 
chuckling  laugh  came  from  between  his  lips. 
176 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

"  A  little  weakness,  Nat  —  a  little  weakness," 
he  gasped  faintly.  "  I  have  it  now  and 
then.  Excitement  —  great  excitement  — "  He 
straightened  himself  for  a  moment  and  stood, 
swaying  free  from  the  table,  then  collapsed  into 
a  chair  his  head  dropping  upon  his  breast. 

Without  arousing  him  from  the  stupor  into 
which  he  had  fallen,  Nathaniel  again  concealed 
himself  in  the  shadows  outside  the  cabin  where 
he  could  better  guard  himself  against  the  pos- 
sible approach  of  Mormon  visitors.  But  he  did 
not  remain  long.  He  struck  a  match  and  saw 
that  it  was  nearly  eleven  and  a  sudden  resolution 
turned  him  back  to  the  cabin  door.  He  believed 
that  Obadiah  would  not  easily  arouse  himself 
from  the  strange  stupor  into  which  he  had 
fallen.  Meanwhile  he  would  find  food  and  then 
conceal  himself  near  the  path  to  intercept  Ma- 
rion. 

As  he  mounted  the  step  he  heard  for  the  sec- 
ond time  since  landing  upon  the  island  the  sol- 
emn tolling  of  the  great  bell  at  St.  James,  and 
177 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

as  he  paused  for  an  instant  to  listen,  peal  upon 
peal  followed  the  first  until  its  brazen  thunder 
rolled  in  one  long  booming  echo  through  the 
forests  of  the  Mormon  kingdom.  There  came  a 
shrill  cry  at  his  back  and  he  whirled  about  to 
see  the  councilor  standing  in  the  center  of  the 
big  room,  his  arms  outstretched,  his  face  lifted 
as  it  had  been  raised  in  prayer  at  the  tolling  of 
that  same  bell  the  night  before  —  but  this  time 
it  was  not  prayer  that  fell  from  his  lips. 

"  Nat,  ye  have  returned  in  the  hour  of  ven- 
geance! The  hand  of  God  is  descending  upon 
the  Mormon  kingdom !  " 

His  words  came  in  a  gasping,  but  triumphant 
cry. 

"  And  to-morrow  —  to-morrow  — "  He 
stepped  forward,  his  voice  crooning  a  wild  joy, 
"  To-morrow  —  I  —  shall  —  be  —  king !  " 

As   he   spoke   the   cabin   trembled,    a   tremor 
passed  under  them,  and  the  tolling  of  the  bell 
was  lost  in  a  sudden  tumult  that  came  like  the 
bursting  crash  of  low  thunder. 
178 


THE  HOUR  OF  VENGEANCE 

"What  is  it?"  cried  Nathaniel.  He  leaped 
into  the  room  and  caught  Obadiah  by  the  arm. 
"What  is  it?" 

"  The  hand  of  God!  "  whispered  the  old  man 
again.  "  Nat  —  Nat  — "  It  was  his  old  self 
that  stood  grimacing  and  twisting  his  hands 
before  Nathaniel  now.  "  Nat  —  a  thousand 
armed  men  are  off  the  coast!  The  Lamanites 
of  the  mainland  are  descending  upon  the  Mor- 
mon kingdom  as  the  hosts  of  Israel  upon  Ca- 
naan !  Strang  is  doomed  —  doomed  —  doomed 
—  and  to-morrow  I  shall  be  king !  "  His  voice 
rose  in  a  wailing  shriek.  He  darted  to  the  door 
and  his  cackling  laugh  rang  with  the  old  mad- 
ness as  he  pointed  into  the  north  where  a  lurid 
glow  had  mounted  high  into  the  sky. 

"The  signal  fire  — the  bell!"  he  gurgled 
chokingly.  "  They  are  calling  the  Mormons  to 
arms  —  but  it  is  too  late  —  too  late !  Ho,  ho, 
it  is  too  late,  Nat  —  too  late !  "  He  staggered 
back,  gripping  his  throat,  and  fell  upon  the 
floor.  "  Too  late  —  too  late,"  he  moaned,  grov- 
179 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

eling    weakly,    as    if    struggling    for    breath. 
"Too  late  —  Nat  —  Marion  — " 

A  shiver  passed  through  his  body  and  he  lay 
quite  still. 


180 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

IN  an  instant  Nathaniel  was  upon  his  knees 
beside  the  prostrate  form  of  the  old  councilor. 

Obadiah's  eyes  were  open,  but  unseeing;  his 
face  was  blanched  to  the  whiteness  of  paper ;  an 
almost  imperceptible  movement  of  his  chest 
showed  that  he  still  breathed.  Nathaniel  lifted 
one  of  the  limp  hands  and  its  clammy  chill 
struck  horror  to  his  heart.  Tenderly  he  lifted 
the  old  man  and  carried  him  to  the  cot  at  the 
end  of  the  room.  He  loosened  his  clothes,  tore 
off  the  low  collar  about  his  throat,  and  felt  with 
his  hand  to  measure  the  faint  beating  of  life  in 
the  councilor's  breast.  For  a  few  moments  it 
seemed  to  grow  fainter  and  fainter,  and  a  chok- 
ing lump  rose  in  his  throat  as  he  watched  the 
pallor  of  death  fixing  itself  on  the  councilor's 
181 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

shriveled  face.  What  strange  chord  of  sympa- 
thy was  it  that  bound  him  to  this  old  man  ?  Was 
it  the  same  mysterious  influence  that  had  at- 
tracted Marion  to  him?  He  dropped  upon  his 
knees  and  called  the  girl's  name  softly  but  it 
awakened  no  response  in  the  sightless  eyes,  no 
tremor  in  the  parted,  unquivering  lips.  Very 
slowly  as  the  minutes  passed  there  came  a  reac- 
tion. The  pulsations  of  the  weakened  heart  be- 
came a  little  stronger,  he  could  catch  faintly  the 
sound  of  breath  coming  from  between  the  old 
man's  lips. 

With  a  gasp  of  relief  Nathaniel  rose  to  his 
feet.  Through  the  door  he  saw  the  red  glare 
growing  in  the  northern  sky  and  heard  the 
great  bell  at  St.  James  ring  a  wilder  and  more 
excited  alarm.  For  a  few  moments  he  stood 
in  silent,  listening  inaction,  his  nerves  tingling 
with  a  strange  sensation  of  impending  peril. 
Obadiah's  madness,  the  mysterious  trembling  of 
the  earth  beneath  his  feet,  the  volcano  of  fire, 
the  clanging  of  the  bell  and  the  councilor's  in- 
182 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

sane  rejoicing  had  all  come  so  suddenly  that  he 
was  dazed.  What  great  calamity,  what  fear- 
ful vengeance,  was  about  to  come  upon  the  Mor- 
mon kingdom?  Was  it  possible  that  the  fisher- 
men and  settlers  of  the  mainland  had  risen,  as 
Obadiah  had  said,  and  were  already  at  hand  to 
destroy  Strang  and  his  people?  The  thought 
spurred  him  to  the  door.  The  blood  rushed  like 
fire  through  his  veins.  What  would  it  mean  to 
Marion  —  to  Neil  ? 

In  his  excitement  he  started  down  the  path 
that  led  to  the  lilac  hidden  home  beyond 
the  forest.  Then  he  thought  again  of  Obadiah 
and  his  last  choking  utterance  of  Marion's 
name.  He  had  tried  to  speak  of  her,  even  with 
that  death-like  rattling  of  the  breath  in  his 
throat ;  and  the  memory  of  the  old  councilor's 
frantic  struggle  for  words  brought  Nathaniel 
quickly  back  to  the  cabin.  He  bent  over  Oba- 
diah's  shriveled  form  and  spoke  the  girl's  name 
again  and  again  in  his  ears.  There  came  no  re- 
sponse, no  quiver  of  life  to  show  that  the  old  man 
183 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

was  conscious  of  his  presence.  As  he  worked 
over  him,  bathing  his  face  and  chest  in  cool 
water,  the  feeling  became  strong  in  him  that  he 
was  fighting  death  in  this  gloomy  room  for  Ma- 
rion's sake.  It  was  like  the  whispering  of  an  in- 
visible spirit  in  his  ears  —  something  more  than 
presentiment,  something  that  made  his  own 
heart  grow  faint  when  death  seemed  winning  in 
the  struggle.  His  watchfulness  was  acute,  in- 
tense, desperate.  When,  after  a  time,  he 
straightened  himself  again,  rewarded  by  Oba- 
diah's  more  regular  breathing,  the  sweat  stood 
in  beads  upon  his  face.  He  knew  that  he  had 
triumphed.  Obadiah  would  live,  and  Marion  — 

He  placed  his  mouth  close  to  the  councilor's 
ear. 

"  Tell  me  about  Marion,"  he  said  again. 
"  Marion  —  Marion  —  Marion  — " 

He  waited,  stilling  his  own  breath  to  catch  the 

sound  of  a  whisper.     None  came.     As  he  bent 

over  him  he  saw  through  the  open  door  that  the 

red  glare  of  fire  had  faded  to  a  burnt  out  glow 

184 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

in  the  sky.  In  the  deep  silence  the  sullen  beat- 
ing of  the  bell  seemed  nearer,  and  he  could  hear 
the  excited  barking  of  dogs  in  St.  James. 
Slowly  the  hope  that  Obadiah  might  speak  to 
him  died  away  and  he  returned  to  the  door.  It 
still  lacked  an  hour  of  midnight,  when  Marion 
had  promised  to  come  to  him.  He  was  wildly 
impatient  and  to  his  impatience  was  added  the 
fear  that  had  filled  him  as  he  hovered  over  Oba- 
diah, a  nameless,  intangible  fear  —  something 
which  he  could  not  have  analyzed  and  which 
clutched  at  his  heart  and  urged  him  to  follow  the 
path  that  led  to  Marion's.  For  a  time  he  re- 
sisted the  impulse.  What  if  she  should  come  by 
another  path  while  he  was  gone?  He  waited 
nervously  in  the  edge  of  the  forest,  watching, 
and  listening  for  footsteps.  Each  minute 
seemed  like  an  hour  marked  into  seconds  by  the 
solemn  steady  tolling  of  the  bell,  and  after  a  lit- 
tle he  found  himself  unconsciously  measuring 
time  by  counting  the  strokes.  Then  he  went  out 
into  the  path.  He  followed  it,  step  by  step, 
185 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

until  he  could  no  longer  see  the  light  in  the 
cabin;  his  pulse  beat  a  little  faster;  he  stared 
ahead  into  the  deep  gloom  between  the  walls  of 
forest  —  and  quickened  his  pace.  If  Marion 
was  coming  to  him  he  would  meet  her.  If  she 
was  not  coming  — 

In  his  old  fearless  way  he  promptly  made  up 
his  mind.  He  would  go  boldly  to  the  cabin  and 
tell  her  that  Neil  was  waiting.  He  felt  sure 
that  the  alarm  sounding  from  St.  James  had 
drawn  away  the  guards  and  that  there  would  be 
nothing  to  interfere  with  his  plan.  If  she  had 
already  left  the  cabin  he  would  return  quickly  to 
Obadiah's.  In  his  eagerness  he  began  to  run. 
Once  a  sound  stopped  him  —  the  distant  beating 
of  galloping  hoofs.  He  heard  the  shout  of  a 
man,  a  reply  farther  away,  the  quick,  excited 
yelping  of  a  dog.  His  blood  danced  as  he 
thought  of  the  gathering  of  the  Mormon  fight- 
ers, the  men  and  boys  racing  down  the  black 
trails  from  the  inland  forests,  the  excitement  in 
St.  James.  As  he  ran  on  again  he  thought  of 
186 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

Arbor  Croche  mustering1  the  panting,  vengeful 
defenders;  of  Strang,  his  great  voice  booming 
encouragement  and  promise,  above  the  brazen 
thunder  of  the  bell ;  he  saw  in  fancy  the  fright- 
ened huddling  groups  of  women  and  children 
and  beyond  and  above  all  the  coming  of  the 
"  vengeance  of  God  " —  a  hundred  beats,  a  thou- 
sand men  —  and  there  went  out  from  his  soul  if 
not  from  his  lips  a  great  cry  of  joy.  At  the 
edge  of  the  forest  he  stopped  for  a  moment. 
Over  beyond  the  clearing  a  light  burned  dimly 
through  the  lilacs.  The  sweet  odor  of  the  flow- 
ers came  to  him  gently,  persuasively,  and  nerved 
him  into  the  open.  He  passed  across  the  open 
space  swiftly  and  plunged  into  a  tangle  of 
bushes  close  to  the  lighted  window. 

He  heard  a  man's  voice  within,  and  then  a 
woman's.  Was  it  Marion?  Cautiously  Na- 
thaniel crept  close  to  the  log  wall  of  the  cabin. 
He  reached  out,  and  hesitated.  Should  he  look 
—  as  he  had  done  at  the  king's  window  ?  The 
man's  voice  came  to  him  again,  harsh  and  angry, 
187 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

and  this  time  it  was  not  a  woman's  words  that  he 
heard  but  a  woman's  sobbing  cry.  He  parted 
the  bushes  and  a  glare  of  light  fell  on  his  face. 
The  lamp  was  on  a  table  and  beside  the  table 
there  sat  a  woman,  her  white  head  turned  from 
him,  her  face  buried  in  her  hands.  She  was  an 
old  woman  and  he  knew  that  it  was  Marion's 
mother.  He  could  not  see  the  man. 

Where  was  Marion?  He  wormed  himself 
back  out  of  the  bushes  and  walked  quickly 
around  the  house.  There  was  no  other  light,  no 
other  sign  of  life  except  in  that  one  room.  With 
sudden  resolution  he  stepped  to  the  door  and 
knocked  loudly. 

For  a  full  half  minute  there  was  silence,  and 
he  knocked  again.  He  heard  the  approach  of  a 
shuffling  step,  the  thump,  thump,  thump  of  a 
cane,  and  the  door  swung  back.  It  was  the  man 
who  opened  it,  a  tall  giant  of  an  old  man, 
doubled  as  if  with  rheumatism,  and  close  behind 
him  was  the  frightened  face  of  the  woman.  An 
involuntary  shudder  passed  through  Nathaniel 
188 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

as  he  looked  at  them.  They  were  old  —  so  old 
that  the  man's  shriveled  hands  were  like  those  of 
a  skeleton ;  his  giant  frame  seemed  about  to  tot- 
ter into  ruin,  his  eyes  were  sunken  until  his  face 
gave  the  horror  of  a  death  mask.  Was  it  pos- 
sible that  these  people  were  the  father  and 
mother  of  Marion  —  and  of  Neil  ?  As  he 
stepped  to  the  threshold  they  timidly  drew  back 
from  him.  In  a  single  glance  Nathaniel  swept 
the  room  and  what  he  saw  thrilled  him,  for 
everywhere  were  signs  of  Marion;  in  the  pic- 
tures on  the  walls,  the  snowy  curtains,  the  cush- 
ions in  the  window-seat  —  and  the  huge  vase  of 
lilacs  on  the  mantle. 

"  I  am  a  messenger  of  the  king,"  he  said,  ad- 
vancing and  closing  the  door  behind  him.  "  I 
want  to  speak  with  Marion." 

"  Strang  —  the  king !  "  cried  the  old  man, 
clutching  the  knob  of  his  cane  with  both  hands. 
"She  has  gone!" 

"  Gone ! "  exclaimed  Nathaniel.  For  an  in- 
stant his  heart  bounded  with  delight.  Marion 
189 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

was  on  her  way  to  the  tryst !     He  sprang  back 
to  the  door.     "  When?     When  did  she  go?  " 

The  woman  had  come  forward,  her  hands 
trembling,  her  lips  quivering.  Something  in 
the  terror  of  her  face  sent  the  hot  blood  from 
Nathaniel's  cheeks. 

"  They  sent  for  her  an  hour  ago,"  she  said. 
"The  king  sent  Obadiah  Price  for  her!  O, 
my  God !  "  she  shrieked  suddenly,  clutching  at 
her  breast,  "  Tell  me  —  what  are  they  doing 
with  Marion — " 

"  Shut  up !  "  snarled  the  old  man.  "  That  is 
Strang's  business.  She  has  gone  to  Strang." 
With  an  effort  he  straightened  himself  until  his 
towering  form  rose  half  a  head  above  Nathaniel. 
"  She  has  gone  to  the  king,"  he  repeated. 
"  Tell  Strang  that  she  will  wive  him  to-night, 
as  she  has  promised !  " 

In  spite  of  his  effort  to  control  himself  a  ter- 
rible cry  burst  from  Nathaniel's  lips.  He  flung 
open  the  door  and  stood  for  an  instant  with  his 
white  face  turned  back. 

190 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

"  She  went  to  the  castle  —  an  hour  ago  ?  "  he 
cried. 

"  Yes,  to  the  castle  —  with  Obadiah  Price  — " 
The  last  words  followed  him  as  he  sped  out 
into  the  night.  As  swiftly  as  a  wolf  he  raced 
across  the  clearing  to  the  trail  that  led  down  to 
St.  James.  Something  seemed  to  have  burst  in 
his  brain ;  something  that  was  not  blood,  but  fire, 
seemed  to  burn  in  his  veins  —  a  mad  desire  to 
reach  Strang,  to  grip  him  by  the  throat,  to 
mete  out  to  him  the  vengeance  of  a  fiend  in- 
stead of  that  of  a  man.  He  was  too  late  to  save 
Marion!  His  brain  reeled  with  the  thought. 
Too  late  —  too  late  —  too  late.  He  panted  the 
words.  They  came  with  every  gasp  for  breath. 
Too  late!  Too  late!  His  heart  pumped  like 
an  engine  as  he  strained  to  keep  up  his  speed. 
He  passed  a  man  and  a  boy  hurrying  with  their 
rifles  to  St.  James  and  made  no  answer  to  their 
shout;  a  galloping  horse  forged  ahead  of  him 
and  he  tried  to  keep  up  with  it;  and  then,  at 
the  top  of  the  long  hill  that  sloped  down  to  the 
191 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

stronghold  of  the  Mormon  kingdom  something 
seemed  to  sweep  his  legs  from  under  him,  and  he 
fell  panting  on  the  ground.  For  a  few  mo- 
ments he  lay  there  looking  down  upon  the  city. 
The  great  bell  at  the  temple  was  now  silent.  He 
saw  huge  fires  burning  for  a  mile  along  the  coast, 
hundreds  of  lights  were  twinkling  in  the  har- 
bor, there  came  up  to  him  softly,  subdued  by 
distance,  the  sound  of  commotion  and  excitement 
far  below. 

His  eyes  rested  on  the  beacon  above  the 
prophet's  home,  burning  like  a  ball  of  fire  over 
the  black  canopy  of  tree-tops.  Marion  was 
there!  He  rose  to  his  feet  again  and  went  on, 
reason  and  judgment  returning  to  him  —  tell- 
ing him  that  he  was  about  to  play  against  odds ; 
that  his  work  was  to  be  one  of  strength  and  gen- 
eralship and  not  of  madness.  As  he  picked  his 
way  more  slowly  and  cautiously  down  the  slope 
a  new  hope  flashed  upon  him.  Was  it  possible 
that  the  discovery  of  the  approach  of  the  main- 
landers  had  served  to  save  Marion?  In  the 
192 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

excitement  that  followed  the  calling  of  the  Mor- 
mons to  arms  and  the  preparations  for  the 
defense  would  Strang,  the  master  of  the  king- 
dom, the  bulwark  of  his  people,  waste  priceless 
time  in  carrying  out  the  purpose  for  which  he 
had  sent  for  Marion?  Hardly  did  hope  burn 
anew  in  his  breast  when  there  came  another 
thought  to  quench  it.  Why  had  the  king  sent 
for  Marion  on  this  particular  night  and  at  this 
late  hour?  Why,  unless  at  the  approach  of  his 
enemies  he  had  feared  that  he  might  lose  his 
beautiful  victim,  and  in  his  overmastering  pas- 
sion had  called  her  to  him  even  as  his  people  as- 
sembled in  defense  of  his  kingdom. 

There  was  desperate  coolness  in  Nathaniel's 
approach  now.  Whatever  had  happened  he 
would  do  what  Neil  had  threatened  to  do  —  kill 
Strang.  And  whatever  had  happened  he  would 
take  Marion  away  with  him  if  it  was  only  her 
dead  body  that  he  carried  in  his  arms.  To  do 
these  things  he  needed  strength.  He  advanced 
more  slowly  and  drew  deeper  and  deeper 
193 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

drafts  of  air  into  his  exhausted  lungs.  At 
the  edge  of  the  grove  surrounding  the  castle  he 
paused  to  listen.  For  the  first  time  it  occurred 
to  Nathaniel  that  the  prophet  might  have  as- 
sembled some  of  his  fighters  to  the  defense  of  his 
harem,  which  he  knew  would  be  one  of  the  first 
places  to  feel  the  vengeance  of  the  outraged  men 
of  the  mainland.  But  he  heard  no  voices  ahead 
of  him.  There  were  no  fires  to  betray  the  ap- 
proach of  the  enemy.  Not  even  the  barking  of 
a  dog  gave  warning  of  his  stealthy  advance. 
Soon  he  could  make  out  a  light  in  the  king's 
house.  A  few  steps  more  and  he  saw  that  the 
door  was  open,  as  it  had  been  on  his  first  visit  to 
the  castle.  He  dodged  swiftly  from  bush  to 
bush,  darted  under  the  window  through  which 
he  had  seen  Marion,  leaped  lightly  up  the  broad 
steps  and  sprang  into  the  great  room,  his  pistol 
cocked  in  his  hand. 

The  room  was  empty.     He  listened,  but  not  a 
sound  came  to  his  ears  except  the  rustling  of 
a  curtain  in  the  breeze.     The  hugh  lamp  over 
194 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

the  table  was  burning  dimly.  The  five  doors 
leading  from  the  room  were  tightly  closed.  Na- 
thaniel held  his  breath,  tried  to  still  the  tumul- 
tuous pounding  of  his  heart  as  he  waited  for  a 
sound  of  life  —  a  step  beyond  those  doors,  a 
woman's  voice,  a  child's  cry.  But  none  came. 
The  stillness  of  desertion  hovered  about  him. 
He  went  to  one  of  the  five  doors.  It  was  not 
locked.  He  opened  it  silently,  with  the  caution 
of  a  thief,  and  there  loomed  before  him  a  chaos 
of  gloom. 

"Hello!"  he  called  gently.  "Hello  — 
Hello  — " 

There  was  no  answer.  He  struck  a  match 
and  advanced  step  by  step,  holding  the  yellow 
bit  of  flame  above  his  head.  It  disclosed  the 
narrow  walls  of  a  hall  and  an  open  door  leading 
into  another  room.  The  match  sputtered  and 
went  out  and  he  lighted  another.  On  a  little 
table  just  outside  the  door  was  a  half  burned 
candle  and  he  replaced  his  match  with  this. 
Then  he  went  in. 

195 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

At  a  glance  he  knew  that  he  had  entered  a 
woman's  room,  redolent  with  the  perfume  of 
flowers.  On  one  side  was  a  bed  and  close  beside 
it  a  cradle  with  a  child's  toys  scattered  about  it. 
The  tumbled  coverlets  showed  that  both  had  been 
recently  used.  About  the  room  were  thrown  ar- 
ticles of  wearing  apparel;  a  trunk  had  been 
dragged  from  a  closet  and  was  half  packed; 
everywhere  was  the  disorder  of  hurried  flight. 
For  a  few  moments  the  depth  of  his  despair 
held  Nathaniel  motionless.  The  castle  was  de- 
serted —  Marion  was  gone !  He  ran  back  into 
the  great  room,  no  longer  trying  to  still  the 
sound  of  his  footsteps,  and  opened  a  second 
door.  The  same  silence  greeted  him,  the  same 
disorder,  the  same  evidence  that  the  wives  and 
children  of  the  Mormon  king  had  fled.  He  went 
into  a  third  room  —  and  then  a  fourth. 

For  an  instant  he  paused  at  the  threshold  of 
this  fourth  chamber.     A  light  was  burning  in  the 
room   at  the  end   of  the  hall.     The   door  was 
closed  with  the  exception  of  an  inch  or  two. 
196 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

"  Marion !  "  he  called  softly,  and  listened  in- 
tently. 

He  went  on  when  there  was  no  reply,  and 
pushed  open  the  door. 

A  candle  was  burning  on  a  stand  in  front  of 
a  mirror.  The  room  was  as  empty  as  the  others. 
But  there  was  no  disorder  here.  The  bed  was 
unused,  the  garments  in  the  open  closet  had  not 
been  disarranged.  On  the  floor  beside  the  bed 
was  a  pair  of  shoes  and  as  Nathaniel  saw  them 
his  heart  seemed  to  leap  to  his  throat  and 
stifled  the  cry  that  was  on  his  lips.  He  took 
one  of  them  in  his  hand,  his  whole  being  throb- 
bing with  excitement.  It  was  Marion's  shoe  — 
encrusted  with  mud  and  torn  as  he  had  seen  it  in 
the  forest.  With  her  name  falling  from  his 
lips  in  a  pleading  cry  he  now  searched  the  room 
and  on  the  stand  in  front  of  the  mirror  he  found 
a  lilac  colored  ribbon,  soiled  and  crumpled.  It 
was  Marion's  ribbon  —  the  one  he  had  seen  last 
in  her  hair,  and  he  crushed  it  to  his  lips  as  he 
ran  back  into  the  great  room,  calling  out  her 
197 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

name  again  and  again  in  the  torture  of  helpless- 
ness that  now  possessed  him. 

Mechanically,  rather  than  with  reason,  he  went 
to  the  fifth  and  last  door.  His  candle  had  be- 
come extinguished  in  his  haste  and  after  he  had 
opened  the  door  he  stopped  at  the  threshold 
of  the  black  hall  to  light  it  again.  There  was 
a  moment's  pause  as  he  searched  his  pockets  for 
a  match,  a  silence  in  which  he  listened  as  he 
searched,  and  suddenly  as  he  was  about  to  strike 
the  sulphur  tipped  splint  there  came  to  his  ears 
a  sound  that  held  him  chained  to  the  spot.  It 
was  the  sobbing  of  a  woman ;  or  was  it  a  child  ? 
In  a  moment  he  knew  that  it  was  a  woman ;  and 
then  the  sobbing  ceased. 

There  was  nothing  but  darkness  ahead  of 
him;  no  ray  of  light  shone  under  the  door;  the 
chamber  itself  was  in  utter  gloom.  As  quietly 
as  possible  he  relighted  his  candle.  A  glance 
assured  him  that  this  hall  was  different  from 
the  others;  it  was  deeper,  and  there  were  two 
doors  at  the  end  of  it  instead  of  one.  Through 
198 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

which  of  these  doors  had  come  the  sound  of  sob- 
bing he  had  heard? 

He  approached  and  listened.  Each  moment 
added  to  his  excitement,  his  fears,  his  hopes,  but 
at  last  he  opened  the  door  on  the  left.  The 
room  was  empty ;  there  was  the  same  disorder  as 
before;  the  same  signs  of  hurried  flight.  It 
was  the  room  on  the  right!  His  heart  almost 
stopped  its  beating  as  he  placed  his  hand  on 
the  latch,  lifted  it,  and  pushed  the  door  in. 
Kneeling  beside  the  bed  he  saw  a  woman.  She 
had  turned  toward  the  light  and  in  the  dim  illu- 
mination of  the  room  Nathaniel  recognized  the 
beautiful  face  he  had  seen  at  the  king's  castle  the 
preceding  day  —  the  face  of  the  woman  who 
had  sent  him  to  find  the  prophet,  who  had  placed 
her  gentle  hand  on  Marion's  head  as  he  had 
looked  through  the  window.  There  was  no  fear 
in  her  eyes  as  she  saw  Nathaniel.  Something 
more  terrible  than  that  shone  in  their  glor- 
ious depths  as  she  rose  to  her  feet  and  stood 
before  him,  her  face  lined  with  grief,  her  mouth 
199 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

twitching  in  agony.  She  stood  with  clenched 
hands,  her  bosom  rising  and  falling  in  the  pas- 
sion of  the  storm  within  her;  and  she  sobbed 
even  as  Nathaniel  paused  there,  unmanned  in 
this  sudden  presence  of  a  distress  greater  than 
his  own ;  sobbed  in  a  choking,  tearless  way,  wait- 
ing for  him  to  speak. 

"  Forgive  me,"  he  spoke  gently.  "  I  have 
come  —  for  —  Marion."  He  felt  that  he  had 
no  reason  to  lie  to  this  woman.  His  face  be- 
trayed his  own  anguish  as  he  came  nearer  to 
her.  "  I  want  Marion,"  he  repeated.  "  My 
God,  won't  you  tell  me  — ?  " 

She  struggled  to  calm  herself  as  he  spoke  the 
girl's  name. 

"  Marion  is  not  here,"  she  said.  She  crushed 
his  hands  against  her  bosom  and  a  softer  look 
came  into  her  eyes ;  her  voice  was  low  and  sweet, 
as  it  had  been  the  morning  he  asked  for  Strang. 
As  she  saw  the  despair  deepening  in  the  man's 
face  a  great  pity  swept  over  her  and  she 
stretched  out  her  arms  to  him  with  an  aching 
200 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

cry,  "  Marion  is  gone  —  gone  —  gone,"  she 
moaned,  "  and  you  must  go,  too !  0,  I  know 
you  love  her  —  she  told  me  that  you  loved  her, 
as  I  love  Strang,  my  king !  We  have  both  lost 

—  lost  —  and   you   must   go  —  as  —  I  —  shall 

—  go ! "     She  turned  away  from  him  with  a  cry 
so  heart-breaking  in  its  pain  that  Nathaniel  felt 
himself  trembling  to  the  soul.     In  another  in- 
stant she  had  faced  him  again,  fighting  back  a 
strange  calm  into  her  face. 

"I  love  Marion,"  she  breathed  softly.  "  I 
would  help  you  —  I  would  help  her  —  if  I 
could."  For  a  moment  her  pale  beautiful  face 
was  filled  with  a  light  that  might  have  shone 
from  the  face  of  an  angel.  "  Don't  you  un- 
derstand? "  she  continued,  scarcely  above  a 
whisper.  "  I  have  been  Strang's  one  great  love 

—  his  life  —  until  Marion  came  into  his  heart. 
I  have  lost  —  you  have  lost  —  but  mine  is  the 
more    bitter    because    Marion    loves    you,    and 
Strang  — " 

With   a   cry   Nathaniel   sprang  to  her   side. 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

The  candle  fell  from  his  hand,  sputtered  on  the 
floor,  and  left  them  in  darkness. 

"  Marion  loves  me !  You  say  that  Marion 
loves  me?  " 

The  woman's  voice  came  to  him  in  a  whisper 
filled  with  the  sweetness  of  sympathy. 

"  She  said  so  to-night  —  in  this  room.  She 
told  me  that  she  loved  you  as  she  never  thought 
that  she  could  love  a  man  in  this  world.  O,  my 
God,  is  that  not  a  balm  for  your  heart,  if  it  is 
broken?  And  Strang  —  my  Strang  —  has 
forgotten  his  love  for  me !  " 

Nathaniel  reached  out  his  arms.  They  found 
the  woman  and  for  a  time  he  held  her  hands  in 
his,  while  a  great  silence  fell  upon  them.  He 
could  hear  the  sobbing  of  her  breath  and  as  her 
fingers  tightened  about  his  own  his  heart  seemed 
bursting  with  its  hatred  of  this  man  who  called 
himself  a  prophet  of  God ;  a  hatred  that  burned 
furiously  even  as  his  being  throbbed  with  the 
wild  joy  of  the  words  he  had  just  heard. 

"  Where  is  Marion  ?  "  he  pleaded. 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  woman.  "  They 
took  her  away  alone.  The  others  have  gone  to 
the  temple." 

"  Do  you  think  she  is  at  the  temple?  "  he  in- 
quired insistently. 

"  No.  One  of  the  others  came  back  a  little 
while  ago.  She  said  that  Marion  was  not 
there." 

"Where  is  Strang?  " 

This  time  he  felt  the  woman  tremble. 

"Strang—" 

She  drew  her  hands  away  from  him.  There 
was  a  strange  quiver  in  her  voice. 

"  Yes  —  where  is  Strang?  " 

There  came  no  reply. 

"  Tell  me  —  where  is  he?  " 

"  I  don't  know." 

"Is  he  at  the  temple?" 

"  I  don't  know." 

He  could  hear  her  stifled  breath ;  he  could  al- 
most feel  her  trembling,  an  arm's  reach  out  there 
in  the  darkness.  What  a  woman  was  this  whose 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

heart  the  Mormon  king  had  broken  for  a  new 
love! 

"  Listen,"  he  said  gently.  "  I  am  going  to 
find  Marion.  I  am  going  to  take  her  away. 
To-morrow  you  shall  have  Strang  again  —  if 
he  is  alive !  " 

There  was  no  answer  and  he  moved  slowly 
back  to  the  door.  He  closed  it  after  him  as 
he  entered  the  hall.  Once  in  the  big  room  he 
paused  for  a  moment  under  the  hanging  lamp  to 
examine  his  pistol  and  then  went  outside.  The 
grove  in  which  the  castle  stood  was  absolutely 
deserted.  So  far  as  he  could  see  not  even  a 
guard  watched  over  the  property  of  the  king. 
Nathaniel  had  become  too  accustomed  to  the  sur- 
prises of  Beaver  Island  to  wonder  at  this.  He 
could  see  by  the  lights  flaring  along  the  harbor 
that  the  castle  was  in  an  isolated  position  and 
easy  of  attack.  From  what  Strang's  wife  had 
told  him  and  the  evidences  of  panic  in  the  cham- 
bers of  the  harem  he  believed  that  the  Mormon 
king  had  abandoned  the  castle  to  its  fate  and 
204 


THE  SIX  CASTLE  CHAMBERS 

that  the  approaching  conflict  would  center  about 
the  temple. 

Was  Marion  at  the  temple?  If  so  he  realized 
that  she  was  beyond  his  reach.  But  the  woman 
had  said  that  she  was  not  there.  Where  could 
she  have  gone?  Why  had  not  Strang  taken  her 
with  his  wives?  In  a  flash  Nathaniel  thought 
of  Arbor  Croche  and  Obadiah  —  the  two  men 
who  always  knew  what  the  king  was  doing.  If 
he  could  find  the  sheriff  alone  —  if  he  could  only 
nurse  Obadiah  back  into  sane  life  again!  He 
thrust  his  pistol  into  its  holster.  There  was  but 
one  thing  for  him  to  do  and  that  was  to  return 
to  the  old  councilor.  It  would  be  madness  for 
him  to  go  down  to  St.  James.  He  had  lost  — 
Strang  had  won.  But  his  love  for  Marion  was 
undying.  If  he  found  her  Strang' s  wife  it 
would  make  no  difference  to  him.  It  would  all 
be  evened  up  when  he  killed  the  king.  For 
Marion  loved  him  —  loved  him  — 

He  turned  his  face  toward  Obadiah's,  his 
heart  singing  the  glad  words  which  the  woman 
205 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

had  spoken  to  him  back  there  in  the  sixth  cham- 
ber. 

And  as  he  was  about  to  take  the  first  step  in 
that  long  race  back  to  the  mad  councilor's  he 
heard  behind  him  the  approach  of  quick  feet. 
He  crouched  behind  a  clump  of  bushes  and 
waited.  A  shadowy  form  was  hurrying  through 
the  grove.  It  passed  close  to  him,  mounted  the 
castle  steps,  and  in  the  doorway  turned  and 
looked  back  for  an  instant  in  the  direction  of  St. 
James. 

Nathaniel's  lips  quivered ;  the  pounding  of  his 
heart  half  choked  him ;  a  shriek  of  mad,  terrible 
joy  was  ready  to  leap  from  his  lips. 

There  in  the  dim  glow  of  the  great  lamp  stood 
Strang,  the  Mormon  king. 


206 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE   HAND   OF   FATE 

LIKE  a  panther  Nathaniel  crouched  and 
watched  the  man  on  the  steps.  His  muscles 
jerked,  his  hands  were  clenched;  each  instant  he 
seemed  about  to  spring.  But  he  held  himself 
back  until  Strang  had  passed  through  the  door. 
Then  he  slipped  along  the  log  wall  of  the  castle, 
hugging  the  shadows,  fearing  that  the  king 
might  reappear  and  see  him  in  time  to  close  the 
door.  What  an  opportunity  fate  had  made  for 
him !  His  fingers  itched  to  get  at  Strang's  thick 
bull-like  throat.  He  felt  no  fear,  no  hesitation 
about  the  outcome  of  the  struggle  with  this  giant 
prophet  of  God.  IJe  did  not  plan  to  shoot,  for 
a  shot  would  destroy  the  secret  of  Marion's  fate. 
He  would  choke  the  truth  from  Strang ;  rob  him 
207 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

of  life  slowly,  gasp  by  gasp,  until  in  the  horror 
of  death  the  king  would  reveal  her  hiding-place 
—  would  tell  what  he  had  done  with  her. 

Then  he  would  kill  him ! 

There  was  the  strength  of  tempered  steel  in 
his  arms ;  his  body,  slender  as  an  athlete's,  quiv- 
ered to  hurl  itself  into  action.  Up  the  steps  he 
crept  so  cautiously  that  he  made  no  sound.  In 
the  intensity  of  his  purpose  Nathaniel  looked 
only  ahead  of  him  —  to  the  door.  He  did  not 
see  that  another  figure  was  stealing  through  the 
gloom  behind  him  as  cautiously,  as  quietly  as 
himself.  He  passed  through  the  door  and  stood 
erect.  Strang  had  not  seen  him.  He  had  not 
heard  him.  He  was  standing  with  his  huge  back 
toward  him,  facing  the  hall  that  led  to  the  sixth 
chamber  —  and  the  woman.  Nathaniel  drew  his 
pistol.  He  would  not  shoot,  but  Strang  might 
be  made  to  tell  the  truth  with  death  leveling  it- 
self at  his  heart.  He  groped  behind  him,  found 
the  door,  and  slammed  it  shut.  There  would  be 
no  retreat  for  the  king ! 
208 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

And  the  man  who  turned  toward  him  at  the 
slamming  of  that  door,  turned  slowly,  coolly, 
and  gazed  into  the  black  muzzle  of  his  pistol 
looked,  indeed,  every  inch  of  him  a  king.  The 
muscles  of  his  face  betrayed  no  surprise,  no  fear. 
His  splendid  nerve  was  unshaken,  his  eyes  un- 
faltering as  they  rose  above  the  pistol  to  the  face 
behind  it.  For  fifteen  seconds  there  was  a  strange 
terrible  silence  as  the  eyes  of  the  two  men  met. 
In  that  quarter  of  a  minute  Nathaniel  knew  that 
he  had  not  guessed  rightly.  Strang  was  not 
afraid.  He  would  not  tell  him  where  Marion 
was.  The  insuperable  courage  of  this  man  mad- 
dened Captain  Plum  and  unconsciously  his  finger 
fell  upon  the  trigger  of  his  pistol.  He  almost 
shrieked  the  words  that  he  meant  to  speak 
calmly : 

"Where  is  Marion?" 

"  She  is  safe,  Captain  Plum.  She  is  where 
the  friends  who  are  invading  us  from  the  main- 
land will  have  no  chance  of  finding  her." 

Strang  spoke  as  quietly  as  though  in  his  own 
209 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

office  beside  the  temple.     Suddenly  he  raised  his 
voice. 

"  She  is  safe,  Captain  Plum  —  safe !  " 
His  eyes  wavered,  and  traveled  beyond.  As 
accurately  as  a  striking  serpent  Nathaniel 
measured  that  glance.  It  had  gone  to  the  door. 
He  heard  a  movement,  felt  a  draft  of  air,  and 
in  an  instant  he  whirled  about  with  his  pistol 
pointed  to  the  door.  In  another  instant  he  had 
fired  and  the  huge  form  of  Arbor  Croche  toppled 
headlong  into  the  room.  A  roar  like  that  of  a 
beast  came  from  behind  him  and  before  he  could 
turn  again  Strang  was  upon  him.  In  that 
moment  he  felt  that  all  was  lost.  Under  the 
weight  of  the  Mormon  king  he  was  crushed  to 
the  floor ;  his  pistol  slipped  from  his  grasp ;  two 
great  hands  choked  a  despairing  cry  from  his 
throat.  He  saw  the  prophet's  face  over  him, 
distorted  with  passion,  his  huge  neck  bulging, 
his  eyes  flaming  like  angry  garnets.  He  strug- 
gled to  free  his  pinioned  arms,  to  wrench  off  the 
death  grip  at  his  throat,  but  his  efforts  were  like 
210 


His  fingers  twined  about  the  purplish  throat. — Page  211 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

those  of  a  child  against  a  giant.  In  a  last 
terrible  attempt  he  drew  up  his  knees  inch  by 
inch  under  the  weight  of  his  enemy;  it  was  his 
only  chance  —  his  only  hope.  Even  as  he  felt 
the  fingers  about  his  throat  sinking  like  hot  iron 
into  his  flesh  and  the  breath  slipping  from  his 
body  he  remembered  this  murderous  knee-punch 
of  the  rough  fighters  of  the  inland  seas  and  with 
all  the  life  that  remained  in  him  he  sent  it  crush- 
ing into  the  abdomen  of  the  Mormon  king.  It 
was  a  moment  before  he  knew  that  it  had  been 
successful,  before  the  film  cleared  from  his  eyes 
and  he  saw  Strang  groveling  at  his  feet ;  another 
moment  and  he  had  hurled  himself  on  the  pro- 
phet. His  fist  shot  out  like  a  hammer  against 
Strang's  jaw.  Again  and  again  he  struck  un- 
til the  great  shaggy  head  fell  back  limp. 
Then  his  fingers  twined  themselves  like  the  links 
of  a  chain  about  the  purplish  throat  and  he 
choked  until  Strang's  eyes  opened  wide  and  life- 
less and  his  convulsions  ceased.  He  would  have 
held  on  until  there  was  no  doubt  of  the  end,  had 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

not  the  king's  wife  —  the  woman  whose  misery 
he  had  shared  that  night  —  suddenly  flung  her- 
self with  a  piercing  cry,  between  him  and  the 
blackened  face,  clutching  at  his  hands  with  all 
her  fragile  strength. 

"  My  God,  you  are  killing  him killing 

him !  "  she  moaned. 

Her  eyes  blazed  as  she  tore  at  his  fingers. 

"  You  are  killing  him  —  killing  him !  "  she 
shrieked.  "  He  has  not  destroyed  Marion !  You 
said  you  would  take  her  and  leave  him  —  for  me 
— "  She  struck  her  head  against  his  breast, 
tearing  the  flesh  of  his  wrists  with  her  nails. 

Nathaniel  loosened  his  grip  and  staggered  to 
his  feet. 

"  For  you !  "  he  panted.  "  If  you  had  only 
come  —  a  little  sconer  — "  He  stumbled  to  his 
pistol  and  picked  it  up.  "  I  am  afraid  he  is  — 
dead!" 

He  did  not  look  back. 

Arbor  Croche  barred  the  door.  He  had  not 
moved  since  he  had  fallen.  His  head  was 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

twisted  so  that  his  face  was  turned  to  the  glow 
of  the  lamp  and  Nathaniel  shuddered  as  he  saw 
where  his  shot  had  struck.  He  had  apparently 
died  with  that  last  cry  on  his  lips. 

There  was  no  longer  a  fear  of  the  Mormons 
in  Nathaniel.  He  believed  the  king  and  Arbor 
Croche  dead,  and  that  in  the  gloom  and  excite- 
ment of  the  night  he  could  go  among  the 
people  of  St.  James  undiscovered.  A  great  load 
was  lifted  from  his  soul,  for  if  he  had  not  been 
in  time  to  save  Marion  he  had  at  least  delivered 
her  after  a  short  bondage.  He  had  now  only  to 
find  Marion  and  she  would  go  with  him,  for  she 
loved  him  —  and  Strang  was  no  more. 

He  hurried  through  the  grove  toward  the  tem- 
ple. Even  before  he  had  come  near  to  it  he 
could  see  that  a  great  crowd  had  congregated 
there.  The  street  which  he  passed  was  deserted. 
No  lights  shone  in.  the  houses.  Even  the  dogs 
were  gone.  For  the  first  time  he  understood 
what  it  meant.  The  whole  town  had  fled  to  that 
huge  log  stronghold  for  protection.  Buildings 
213 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

and  trees  shut  out  his  view  seaward  but  he  could 
see  the  flare  of  great  fires  mounting  into  the  sky 
and  he  knew  that  those  who  were  not  at  the  tem- 
ple were  guarding  the  shore. 

Suddenly  he  almost  fell  over  a  figure  in  his 
path.  It  was  an  old  woman  mumbling  and  sob- 
bing incoherently  as  she  stumbled  weakly  in  the 
direction  of  the  temple.  Like  an  inspiration 
the  thought  came  to  him  that  here  was  his  op- 
portunity of  gaining  admittance  to  that  multi- 
tude of  women  and  children.  He  seized  the 
old  woman  by  the  arm  and  spoke  words  of  cour- 
age to  her  as  he  half  carried  her  on  her  way.  A 
few  minutes  more  and  a  blaze  of  light  burst  upon 
them  and  the  great  square  in  which  the  temple 
was  situated  lay  open  before  them.  Half  a 
hundred  yards  ahead  a  fire  was  burning ;  oil  and 
pine  sent  their  lurid  flame  high  up  into  the  night, 
and  in  the  thick  gloom  behind  it,  intensified  by 
the  blinding  glare,  Nathaniel  saw  the  shadows 
of  men.  He  caught  the  old  woman  in  his  arms 
and  went  on  boldly.  He  passed  close  to  a  thin 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

line  of  waiting  men,  saw  the  faint  glint  of  fire- 
light on  their  rifles,  and  staggering  past  them 
unchallenged  with  his  weight  he  stopped  for  a 
moment  to  look  back.  The  effect  was  startling. 
Beyond  the  three  great  fires  that  blazed  around 
the  temple  the  clearing  was  bathed  in  a  sea  of 
light ;  in  its  concealment  of  giant  trees  the  tem- 
ple was  buried  in  gloom.  From  the  gloom  a 
hundred  cool  men  might  slaughter  five  times 
their  number  charging  across  that  illumined 
death-square ! 

Nathaniel  could  not  repress  a  shudder  as  he 
looked.  Screened  behind  each  of  the  three  fires 
was  a  cannon.  He  figured  that  there  were  more 
than  a  hundred  rifles  in  that  silent  cordon  of 
men.  What  was  there  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  temple? 

He  turned  with  the  old  woman  and  joined 
the  throng  that  was  seething  about  the  temple 
doors.  There  were  women,  children  and  old  men, 
crushing  and  crowding,  fighting  with  panic- 
stricken  fierceness  for  admittance  to  the  thick  log 
215 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

walls.  Through  the  doors  there  came  the  low 
thunder  of  countless  voices  pierced  by  the  shrill 
cries  of  little  children.  Foot  by  foot  Nathaniel 
fought  his  way  up  the  steps.  At  the  top  were 
drawn  a  dozen  men  forming  barriers  with  their 
rifles.  One  of  them  shoved  him  back. 

"Not  you!"  he  shouted.  "This  is  for  the 
women ! " 

Nathaniel  fell  back,  filled  with  horror.  A 
glance  had  shown  him  the  vast  dimly  lighted  in- 
terior of  the  temple  packed  to  suffocation. 
What  sins  had  this  people  wrought  that  it  thus 
feared  the  vengeance  of  the  men  from  the  main- 
land! He  felt  the  sweat  break  out  upon  his 
face  as  he  thought  of  Marion  being  in  that  mob, 
tired  and  fainting  with  her  terrible  day's  ex- 
perience —  perhaps  dying  under  the  panic- 
stricken  feet  of  those  stronger  than  herself.  He 
hoped  now  for  that  which  at  first  had  filled  him 
with  despair  —  that  Strang  had  hidden  Marion 
away  from  the  terror  and  suffocation  of  this 
multitude  that  fought  for  its  breath  within  the 
216 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

temple.  Freeing  himself  of  the  crowd  he  ran  to 
the  farther  side  of  the  building.  A  fourth  fire 
blazed  in  his  face.  But  on  this  side  there  was 
no  cannon ;  scarcely  a  score  of  men  were  guard- 
ing the  rear  of  the  temple. 

For  a  full  minute  he  stood  concealed  in  the 
gloom.  He  realized  now  that  it  would  be  use- 
less to  return  to  Obadiah.  The  old  councilor 
could  probably  have  told  him  all  that  he  had  dis- 
covered for  himself;  that  Marion  had  gone  to 
the  castle  —  that  Strang  intended  to  make  her 
his  bride  that  night.  But  did  Obadiah  know  that 
the  castle  had  been  abandoned?  Did  he  know 
that  the  king's  wives  had  sought  refuge  in  the 
temple,  and  did  he  know  where  Marion  was  hid- 
den? Nathaniel  could  assure  himself  but  one 
answer;  Obadiah,  struck  down  by  his  strange 
madness,  was  more  ignorant  than  he  himself  of 
what  had  occurred  at  St.  James. 

While  he  paused  a  heavy  noise  arose  that 
quickened  his  heart-beats  and  sent  the  blood 
through  his  veins  in  wild  excitement.  From  far 
217 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

down  by  the  shore  there  came  the  roar  of  a  can- 
non. It  was  closely  followed  by  a  second  and  a 
third,  and  hardly  was  the  night  shaken  by  their 
thunder  than  a  mighty  cheering  of  men  swept 
up  from  the  fire-rimmed  coast.  The  battle  had 
begun!  Nathaniel  leaped  out  into  the  glow  of 
the  great  blazing  fire  beyond  the  temple;  he 
heard  a  warning  shout  as  he  darted  past  the 
men ;  for  an  instant  he  saw  their  white  faces 
staring  at  him  from  the  firelight  —  heard  a 
second  shout,  which  he  knew  was  a  command  — 
and  was  gone.  Half  a  dozen  rifles  cracked  be- 
hind him  and  a  yell  of  joyful  defiance  burst 
from  his  throat  as  the  bullets  hissed  over  his 
head.  The  battle  had  begun!  Another  hour 
and  the  Mormon  kingdom  would  be  at  the 
mercy  of  the  avenging  host  from  the  mainland 
—  and  Marion  would  be  his  own  for  ever !  He 
heard  again  the  deep  rumble  of  a  heavy  gun 
and  from  its  sullen  detonation  he  knew  that  it 
was  fired  from  a  ship  at  sea.  A  nearer  crash 
of  returning  fire  turned  him  into  a  deserted 
818 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

street  down  which  he  ran  wildly,  on  past  the  last 
houses  of  the  town,  until  he  came  to  the  foot  of 
a  hill  up  which  he  climbed  more  slowly,  panting 
like  a  winded  animal. 

From  its  top  he  could  look  down  upon  the 
scene  of  battle.  To  the  eastward  stretched  the 
harbor  line  with  its  rim  of  fires.  A  glance  showed 
him  that  the  fight  was  not  to  center  about  these. 
They  had  served  their  purpose,  had  forced  the 
mainlanders  to  seek  a  landing  farther  down  the 
coast.  The  light  of  dawn  had  already  begun  to 
disperse  the  thick  gloom  of  night  and  an  eighth 
of  a  mile  below  Nathaniel  the  Mormon  forces 
were  creeping  slowly  along  the  shore.  The 
pale  ghostly  mistiness  of  the  sea  hung  like  a  cur- 
tain between  him  and  what  was  beyond,  and  even 
as  he  strained  his  eyes  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
avenging  fleet  a  vivid  light  leaped  out  of  the 
white  distance,  followed  by  the  thunder  of  a 
cannon.  He  saw  the  head  of  the  Mormon  line 
falter.  In  an  instant  it  had  been  thrown  into 
confusion.  A  second  shot  from  the  sea  —  a 
219 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

storm  of  cheering  voices  from  out  of  that  white 
chaos  of  mist  —  and  the  Mormons  fell  back 
from  the  shore  in  a  panic-stricken,  fleeing  mob. 
Were  those  frightened  cowards  the  fierce  fighters 
of  whom  he  had  heard  so  much?  Were  they 
the  men  who  had  made  themselves  masters  of  a 
kingdom  in  the  land  of  their  enemies  —  whose 
mere  name  carried  terror  for  a  hundred  miles 
along  the  coast?  He  was  stupefied,  bewildered. 
He  made  no  effort  to  conceal  himself  as  they  ap- 
proached the  hill,  but  drew  his  pistol,  ready  to 
fire  down  upon  them  as  they  came.  Suddenly 
there  was  a  change.  So  quickly  that  he  could 
scarcely  believe  his  eyes  the  flying  Mormons  had 
disappeared.  Not  a  man  was  visible  upon  that 
narrow  plain  between  the  hill  and  the  sea.  Like 
a  huge  covey  of  quail  they  had  dropped  to  the 
ground,  their  rifles  lost  in  that  ghostly  gloom 
through  which  the  voices  of  the  mainlanders 
came  in  fierce  cries  of  triumph.  It  was  mag- 
nificent! Even  as  the  crushing  truth  of  what 
it  all  meant  came  to  him,  the  fighting  blood  in 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

his  veins  leaped  at  the  sight  of  it  —  the  pre- 
tended effect  of  the  shots  from  sea,  the  sham  con- 
fusion, the  disorderly  flight,  the  wonderful 
quickness  and  precision  with  which  the  rabble 
of  armed  men  had  thrown  itself  into  ambush ! 

Would  the  mainlanders  rush  into  the  trap? 
Had  some  keen  eye  seen  those  shadowy  forms 
dropping  through  the  mist?  Each  instant  the 
ghostly  pall  that  shut  out  vision  seaward  seemed 
drifting  away.  Nathaniel's  staring  eyes  saw  a 
vague  shape  appear  in  it,  an  indistinct  dirt-gray 
blotch,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  a  boat.  An- 
other followed,  and  then  another;  he  heard  the 
sound  of  oars,  the  grinding  of  keels  upon  the 
sand,  and  where  the  Mormons  had  been  a  few 
moments  before  the  beach  was  now  alive  with 
mainlanders.  In  the  growing  light  he  could 
make  out  the  king's  men  below  him,  inanimate 
spots  in  the  middle  of  the  narrow  plain.  Help- 
less he  stood  clutching  his  pistol,  the  horror  in 
him  growing  with  each  breath.  Could  he  give 
no  warning  ?  Could  he  do  nothing  —  nothing  — 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

At  least  he  could  join  in  the  fight!  He  ran 
down  the  hill,  swinging  to  the  left  of  the  Mor- 
mons. Half  way,  and  he  stopped  as  a  thunder- 
ing cheer  swept  up  from  the  shore.  The  main- 
landers  had  started  toward  the  hill!  Without 
rank,  without  order  —  shouting  their  triumph 
as  they  came  they  were  rushing  blindly  into  the 
arms  of  the  ambush !  A  shriek  of  warning  left 
Nathaniel's  lips.  It  was  drowned  in  a  crash  of 
rifle  fire.  Volley  after  volley  burst  from  that 
shadowy  stretch  of  plain.  Before  the  furious 
fire  the  van  of  the  mainlanders  crumpled  into 
ruin.  Like  chaff  before  a  wind  those  behind 
were  swept  back.  Apparently  they  were  flying 
without  waiting  to  fire  a  shot!  Nathaniel 
dashed  down  into  the  plain.  Ahead  of  him  the 
Mormons  were  charging  in  a  solid  line,  and  in 
another  moment  the  shore  had  become  a  mass  of 
fighting  men.  Far  to  the  left  he  saw  a  group 
of  the  mainlanders  running  along  the  beach  to- 
ward the  conflict.  If  he  could  only  intercept 
them  —  and  bring  them  into  the  rear !  Like  the 
222 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

wind  he  sped  to  cut  them  off,  shouting  and  firing 
his  pistol. 

He  won  by  a  hundred  yards  and  stood  pant- 
ing as  they  came  toward  him.  Dawn  had  dis- 
pelled the  mist-gloom  and  as  the  mainlanders 
drew  nearer  he  discerned  in  their  lead  a  figure 
that  brought  a  cry  of  joy  from  his  lips. 

"Neil!"  he  shouted.     "Neil—" 

He  turned  as  Marion's  brother  darted  to  his 
side. 

"  This  way  —  from  behind !  " 

The  two  led  the  way,  side  by  side,  followed  by 
a  dozen  men.  A  glance  told  Nathaniel  that 
nothing  much  less  than  a  miracle  could  turn  the 
tide  of  battle.  Half  of  the  mainlanders  were 
fighting  in  the  water.  Others  were  struggling 
desperately  to  get  away  in  the  boats.  Foot  by 
foot  the  Mormons  were  crushing  them  back, 
their  battle  cries  now  turned  into  demoniac  yells 
of  victory.  Into  the  rear  of  the  struggling 
mass,  firing  as  they  ran,  charged  the  handful  of 
men  behind  Captain  Plum  and  Neil.  For  a 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

little  space  the  king's  men  gave  way  before  them 
and  with  wild  cheers  the  powerful  fishermen  from 
the  coast  fought  their  way  toward  their  com- 
rades. Many  of  them  were  armed  with  long 
knives;  some  had  pistols;  others  used  their 
empty  rifles  as  clubs.  A  dozen  more  men  and 
they  would  have  split  like  a  wedge  through  the 
Mormon  mass.  Above  the  din  of  battle  Na- 
thaniel's voice  rose  in  thundering  shouts  to  the 
men  in  the  sea,  and  close  beside  him  he  heard 
Neil  shrieking  out  a  name  between  his  blows. 
Like  demons  they  fought  straight  ahead,  slash- 
ing with  their  knives.  The  Mormon  line  was 
thinning.  The  mainlanders  had  turned  and 
were  fighting  their  way  back,  gaining  foot  by 
foot  what  they  had  lost.  Suddenly  there  came  a 
terrific  cheer  from  the  plain  and  the  hope  that 
had  flamed  in  Nathaniel's  breast  died  out  as  he 
heard  it.  He  knew  what  it  meant  —  that  the 
Mormons  at  St.  James  had  come  to  reinforce 
their  comrades.  He  fought  now  to  reach  the 
boats,  calling  to  Neil,  whom  he  could  no  longer 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

see.  Even  in  that  moment  he  thought  of 
Marion.  His  only  chance  was  to  escape  with 
the  others,  his  only  hope  of  wresting  her  from 
the  kingdom  lay  in  his  own  freedom.  He  had 
waited  too  long.  A  crushing  blow  fell  upon 
him  from  behind  and  with  a  last  cry  to  Neil  he 
sank  under  the  trampling  feet.  Indistinctly 
there  came  to  him  the  surging  shock  of  the  fresh 
body  of  Mormons.  The  din  about  him  became 
fainter  and  fainter  as  though  he  was  being  car- 
ried rapidly  away  from  it ;  shouting  voices  came 
to  him  in  whispers,  and  deadened  sounds,  like 
the  quick  tapping  of  a  finger  on  his  forehead, 
were  all  that  he  heard  of  the  steady  rifle  fire  that 
pursued  the  defeated  mainlanders  in  their  flight. 

After  a  little  he  began  struggling  back  into 
consciousness.  There  was  a  splitting  pain 
somewhere  in  his  head  and  he  tried  to  reach  his 
hand  to  it. 

"  You  won't  have  to  carry  him,"  he  heard  a 
voice  say.  "  Give  him  a  little  water  and  he'll 
walk." 

225 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

He  felt  the  dash  of  the  water  in  his  face  and 
it  put  new  life  into  him.  Somebody  had  raised 
him  to  a  sitting  posture  and  was  supporting  him 
there  while  a  second  person  bound  a  cloth  about 
his  head.  He  opened  his  eyes  and  the  light  of 
day  shot  into  them  like  a  stinging,  burning 
charge  of  needle-points,  and  he  closed  them 
again  with  a  sharp  cry  of  pain.  That  second's 
glance  had  shown  him  that  it  was  a  woman  who 
was  binding  his  head.  He  had  not  seen  her 
face.  Beyond  her  he  had  caught  a  half  formed 
vision  of  many  people  and  the  glistening  edge 
of  the  sea,  and  as  he  lay  with  closed  eyes  the 
murmur  of  voices  came  to  him.  The  support  at 
his  back  was  taken  away,  slowly,  as  if  the  per- 
son who  held  him  feared  that  he  would  fall. 
Nathaniel  stiffened  himself  to  show  his  returning 
strength  and  opened  his  eyes  again.  This  time 
the  pain  was  not  so  great.  A  few  yards  away 
he  saw  a  group  of  people  and  among  them  were 
women ;  still  farther  away,  so  far  that  his  brain 
grew  dizzy  as  he  looked,  there  was  a  black 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

moving  crowd.  He  was  among  the  wounded. 
The  Mormon  women  were  here.  Down  there 
along  the  shore  —  among  the  dead  —  had  as- 
sembled the  population  of  St.  James. 

A  strange  sickness  overpowered  him  and  he 
sank  back  against  his  supporter.  A  cool  hand 
passed  over  his  face.  It  was  a  soothing,  gentle 
touch  —  the  hand  of  the  woman.  He  felt  the 
sweep  of  soft  hair  against  his  cheek  —  a  breath 
whispering  in  his  ear. 

"  You  will  be  better  soon." 

His  heart  stood  still. 

«  You  will  be  better  — " 

Against  his  rough  cheek  there  fell  the  soft 
pressure  of  a  woman's  lips. 

Nathaniel  pulled  himself  erect,  every  drop  of 
blood  in  him  striving  for  the  mastery  of  his 
body,  his  vision,  his  strength.  He  tried  to  turn, 
but  strong  arms  seized  him  from  behind.  A 
man's  voice  spoke  to  him,  a  man's  strength  held 
him.  In  an  agony  of  appeal  Marion's  name 
burst  from  his  lips. 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  Sh-h- ! "  warned  the  voice  behind  him. 
"  Are  you  crazy  ?  " 

The  arms  relaxed  their  hold  and  Nathaniel 
dragged  himself  to  his  knees.  The  woman  was 
gone.  As  far  as  he  could  see  there  were  people 
—  scores  of  them,  hundreds  of  them  —  multi- 
plied into  thousands  and  millions  as  he  looked, 
until  there  was  only  a  black  cloud  about  him. 
He  staggered  to  his  feet  and  a  strong  hand  kept 
him  from  falling  while  his  brain  slowly  cleared. 
The  millions  and  thousands  and  hundreds  of 
people  dissolved  themselves  into  the  day  until 
only  a  handful  was  left  where  he  had  seen  multi- 
tudes. He  turned  his  face  weakly  to  the  man 
beside  him. 

"  Where  did  she  go?  "  he  asked. 

It  was  a  boyish  face  into  which  his  pleading 
eyes  gazed,  a  face  white  with  the  strain  of  battle, 
reddened  a  little  on  one  cheek  with  a  smear  of 
blood,  and  there  was  a  startled,  frightened  look 
in  it  that  did  not  come  of  the  strife  that  had 
passed. 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

"  Who?     What  are  you  talking  about?  " 

"  The  woman,"  whispered  Nathaniel.  "  The 
woman  —  Marion  —  who  kissed  —  me  — " 

The  young  fellow's  hand  gripped  his  arm  in 
a  sudden  fierce  clutch. 

"  You've  been  dreaming !  "  he  exclaimed  in  a 
threatening  voice.  "  Shut  up !  "  He  spoke  the 
words  loudly.  Then  quickly  dropping  his  voice 
to  a  whisper  he  added,  "  For  God's  sake  don't 
betray  her !  They  saw  her  with  us  —  everybody 
knows  that  it  was  the  king's  wife  with  you !  " 

The  king's  wife !  Nathaniel  was  too  weak  to 
analyze  the  words  beyond  the  fact  that  they  car- 
ried the  dread  truth  of  his  fears  deep  into  his 
soul.  Who  would  have  come  to  him  but  Marion  ? 
Who  else  would  have  kissed  him?  It  was 
her  voice  that  had  whispered  in  his  ear  — 
the  thrill  of  her  hand  that  had  passed  over  his 
face.  And  this  man  had  said  that  she  was  the 
wife  of  the  king !  He  heard  the  voices  of  other 
men  near  him  but  did  not  understand  what  they 
were  saying.  He  knew  that  after  a  moment 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

there  was  a  man  on  each  side  of  him  holding  him 
by  the  arms,  and  mechanically  he  moved  his  legs, 
knowing  that  they  wanted  him  to  walk.  They 
did  not  guess  how  weak  he  was  —  how  he  strug- 
gled to  keep  from  becoming  too  great  a  weight 
on  their  hands.  Once  or  twice  they  stopped  in 
their  agonizing  climb  up  the  hill.  On  its  top 
the  cool  sea  air  swept  into  Nathaniel's  face  and 
it  was  like  water  to  a  parched  throat. 

After  a  time  —  it  seemed  a  day  of  terrible 
work  and  pain  to  him  —  they  came  to  the  streets 
of  the  town,  and  in  a  half  conscious  sort  of  way 
he  cursed  at  the  rabble  trailing  at  their  heels. 
They  passed  close  to  the  temple,  dirt  and  blood 
and  a  burning  torment  shutting  the  vision  of  it 
from  his  eyes,  and  beyond  this  there  was  an- 
other crowd.  An  aisle  opened  for  them,  as  it 
had  opened  for  others  ahead  of  them.  In  front 
of  the  jail  they  stopped.  Nathaniel's  head 
hung  heavily  upon  his  breast  and  he  made  no 
effort  to  raise  it.  All  ambition  and  desire  had 
left  him,  all  desire  but  one,  and  that  was  to  drop 
230 


THE  HAND  OF  FATE 

upon  the  ground  and  lie  there  for  endless,  rest- 
ful years.  What  consciousness  was  left  in  him 
was  ebbing  swiftly;  he  saw  black,  fathomless 
night  about  him  and  the  earth  seemed  slipping 
from  under  his  feet. 

A  voice  dragged  him  back  into  life  —  a  voice 
that  boomed  in  his  ears  like  rolling  thunder  and 
set  every  fiber  in  him  quivering  with  emotion. 
He  drew  himself  erect  with  the  involuntary 
strength  of  one  mastering  the  last  spasm  of 
death  and  as  they  dragged  him  through  the  door 
he  saw  there  within  an  arm's  reach  of  him  the 
great,  living  face  of  Strang,  gloating  at  him  as 
if  from  out  of  a  mist  —  red  eyed,  white  f anged, 
filled  with  the  vengefulness  of  a  beast. 

The  great  voice  rumbled  in  his  ears  again. 

"  Take  that  man  to  the  dungeon !  " 


231 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  voice  —  the  condemning  words  —  fol- 
lowed Nathaniel  as  he  staggered  on  between  his 
two  guards ;  it  haunted  him  still  as  the  cold 
chill  of  the  rotting  dungeon  walls  struck  in  his 
face;  it  remained  with  him  as  he  stood  swaying 
alone  in  the  thick  gloom — 'the  voice  rumbling 
in  his  ears,  the  words  beating  against  his  brain 
until  the  shock  of  them  sickened  him,  until  he 
stretched  out  his  arms  and  there  fell  from  him 
such  a  cry  as  had  never  tortured  his  lips  before. 

Strang  was  alive!  He  had  left  the  spark  of 
life  in  him,  and  the  woman  who  loved  him  had 
fanned  it  back  into  full  flame. 

Strang  was  alive !  And  Marion  —  Marion 
was  his  wife ! 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

The  voice  of  the  king  taunted  him  from  the 
black  chaos  that  hid  the  dungeon  walls.  The 
words  struck  at  him,  filling  his  head  with  shoot- 
ing pain,  and  he  tottered  back  and  sank  to  the 
ground  to  get  away  from  them.  They  followed, 
and  that  vengeful  leer  of  the  king  was  behind 
them,  urging  them  on,  until  they  beat  his  face 
into  the  sticky  earth,  and  smothered  him  into 
what  he  thought  was  death. 

There  came  rest  after  that,  a  long  silent  rest. 
When  Nathaniel  slowly  climbed  up  out  of  the 
ebon  shadows  again  the  first  consciousness  that 
came  to  him  was  that  the  word-demons  had 
stopped  their  beating  against  his  brain  and  that 
he  no  longer  heard  the  voice  of  the  king.  His 
relief  was  so  great  that  he  breathed  a  restful 
sigh.  Something  touched  him  then.  Great 
God!  were  they  coming  back?  Were  they  still 
there  —  waiting  —  waiting  — 

It  was  a  wonderfully  familiar  voice  that  spoke 
to  him. 

"  Hello  there,  Nat !     Want  a  drink?  " 
233 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

He  gulped  eagerly  at  the  cool  liquid  that 
touched  his  lips. 

"  Neil,"  he  whispered. 

"  It's  me,  Nat.  They  chucked  me  in  with  you. 
Hell's  hole,  isn't  it?" 

Nathaniel  sat  up,  Neil's  strong  arm  at  his 
back.  There  was  a  light  in  the  room  now  and  he 
could  see  his  companion's  face,  smiling  at  him 
encouragingly.  The  sight  of  it  was  like  an 
elixir  to  him.  He  drank  again  and  new  life 
coursed  through  him. 

"  Yes  —  hell  of  a  hole !  "  he  repeated  drows- 
ily. "  Sorry  for  you  —  Neil  — "  and  he  seemed 
to  sleep  again. 

Neil  laughed  as  he  wiped  his  companion's 
face  with  a  wet  cloth. 

"  I'm  used  to  it,  Nat.  Been  here  before,"  he 
said.  "  Can  you  get  up?  There's  a  bench  over 
here  —  not  long  enough  to  stretch  you  out  on 
or  I  would  have  made  you  a  bed  of  it,  but  it's 
better  than  this  mud  to  sit  on." 

He  put  his  arms  about  Nathaniel  and  helped 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

him  to  his  feet.  For  a  few  moments  the 
wounded  man  stood  without  moving. 

"  I'm  not  very  bad,  I  guess,"  he  said,  taking  a 
slow  step.  "  Where  is  the  seat,  Neil?  I'm  go- 
ing to  walk  to  it.  What  sort  of  a  bump  have 
I  got  on  the  head?" 

"  Nothing  much,"  assured  Neil.  "  Suspi- 
cious, though,"  he  grinned  cheerfully.  "  Looks 
as  though  you  were  running  and  somebody  came 
up  and  tapped  you  from  behind !  " 

Nathaniel's  strength  returned  to  him  quickly. 
The  pain  had  gone  from  his  head  and  his  eyes 
no  longer  hurt  him.  In  the  dim  candle-light  he 
could  distinguish  the  four  walls  of  the  dungeon, 
glistening  with  the  water  and  mold  that  reeked 
from  between  their  rotting  logs.  The  floor  was 
of  wet,  sticky  earth  which  clung  to  his  boots,  and 
the  air  that  he  breathed  filled  his  nostrils  and 
throat  with  the  uncomfortable  thickness  of  a 
night  fog  at  sea.  Through  it  the  candle  burned 
in  a  misty  halo.  Near  the  candle,  which  stood 
on  a  shelf -like  table  against  one  of  the  walls, 
235 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

was  a  big  dish  which  caught  Nathaniel's  eyes. 
"  What's  that?  "  he  asked  pointing  toward  it. 
"  Grub,"  replied  Neil.  "  Hungry?  " 
He  went  to  the  table  and  got  the  plate  of 
food.  There  were  chunks  of  boiled  meat,  un- 
buttered  bread,  and  cold  potatoes.  For  several 
minutes  they  ate  in  silence.  Now  that  Na- 
thaniel was  himself  again  Neil  could  no  longer 
keep  up  his  forced  spirits.  Both  realized  that 
they  had  played  their  game  and  that  it  had 
ended  in  defeat.  And  each  believed  that  it  was 
in  his  individual  power  to  alleviate  to  some  ex- 
tent the  other's  misery.  To  Neil  what  was 
ahead  of  them  held  no  mystery.  A  few  hours 
more  and  then  —  death.  It  was  only  the  form 
in  which  it  would  come  that  troubled  him,  that 
made  him  think.  Usually  the  victims  of  this 
dungeon  cell  were  shot.  Sometimes  they  were 
hanged.  But  why  tell  Nathaniel?  So  he  ate 
his  meat  and  bread  without  words,  waiting  for 
the  other  to  speak,  as  the  other  waited  for  him. 
And  Nathaniel,  on  his  part,  kept  to  himself  the 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

secret  of  Marion's  fate.  After  they  had  done 
with  the  meat  and  the  bread  and  the  cold  pota- 
toes he  pulled  out  his  beloved  pipe  and  filled  it 
with  the  last  scraps  of  his  tobacco,  and  as  the 
fumes  of  it  clouded  round  his  head,  soothing 
him  in  its  old  friendship,  he  told  of  his  fight  with 
Strang  and  his  killing  of  Arbor  Croche. 

"  I'm  glad  for  Winnsome's  sake,"  said  Neil, 
after  a  moment.  "  Oh,  if  you'd  only  killed 
Strang!" 

Nathaniel  thought  of  what  Marion  had  said 
to  him  in  the  forest. 

"  Neil,"  he  said  quietly,  "  do  you  know  that 
Winnsome  loves  you  —  not  as  the  little  girl 
whom  you  toted  about  on  your  shoulders  —  but 
as  a  woman?  Do  you  know  that?"  In  the 
other's  silence  he  added,  "  When  I  last  saw 
Marion  she  sent  this  message  to  you  — '  Tell 
Neil  that  he  must  go,  for  Winnsome's  sake. 
Tell  him  that  her  fate  is  shortly  to  be  as  cruel 
as  mine  —  tell  him  that  Winnsome  loves  him  and 
that  she  will  escape  and  come  to  him  on  the 
237 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

mainland.' '  Like  words  of  fire  they  had  burned 
themselves  in  his  brain  and  as  Nathaniel  re- 
peated them  he  thought  of  that  other  broken 
heart  that  had  sobbed  out  its  anguish  to  him  in 
the  castle  chamber.  "  Neil,  a  man  can  die  easier 
when  he  knows  that  a  woman  loves  him !  " 

He  had  risen  to  his  feet  and  was  walking  back 
and  forth  through  the  thick  gloom. 

"  I'm  glad !  "  Neil's  voice  came  to  him  softly, 
as  though  he  scarcely  dared  to  speak  the  words 
aloud.  After  a  moment  he  added,  "  Have  you 
got  a  pencil,  Nat  ?  I  would  like  to  leave  a  little 
note  for  Winnsome." 

Nathaniel  found  both  pencil  and  paper  in  one 
of  his  pockets  and  Neil  dropped  upon  his  knees 
in  the  mud  beside  the  table.  Ten  minutes  later 
he  turned  to  Nathaniel  and  a  great  change  had 
come  into  his  face. 

"  She  always  seemed  like  such  a  little  child 
to  me  that  I  never  dared  —  to  —  tell  her,"  he 
faltered.  "  I've  done  it  in  this." 

"  How  will  you  get  the  note  to  her?  " 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

"  I  know  the  jailer.  Perhaps  when  he  comes 
to  bring  us  our  dinner  I  can  persuade  him  to 
send  it  to  her." 

Nathaniel  thrust  his  hands  into  his  pockets. 
His  fingers  dug  into  Obadiah's  gold. 

"  Would  this  help?  "  he  asked. 

He  brought  out  a  shimmering  handful  of  it 
and  counted  the  pieces  upon  the  table. 

"  Two  hundred  dollars  —  if  he  will  deliver 
that  note,"  he  said. 

Neil  stared  at  him  in  amazement. 

"  If  he  won't  take  it  for  that  —  I've  got  more. 
I'll  go  a  thousand !  " 

Neil  stood  silent,  wondering  if  his  compan- 
ion was  mad.  Nathaniel  saw  the  look  in  his 
face  and  his  own  flushed  with  sudden  excite- 
ment. 

"  Don't  you  understand?  "  he  cried.  "  That 
note  means  Heaven  or  hell  for  Winnsome  —  it 
means  life  —  her  whole  future !  And  you  know 
what  this  cell  means  for  us,"  he  said  more 
calmly.  "  It  means  that  we're  at  the  end  of 
239 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

our  rope,  that  the  game  is  up,  that  neither  of 
us  will  ever  see  Marion  or  Winnsome  again. 
That  note  is  the  last  word  in  life  from  us  — 
from  you.  It's  a  dying  prayer.  Tell  Winn- 
some your  love,  tell  her  that  it  is  your  last  wish 
that  she  go  out  into  the  big,  free  world  —  away 
from  this  hell-hole,  away  from  Strang,  away 
from  the  Mormons,  and  live  as  other  women  live ! 
And  commanded  by  your  love  —  she  will  go ! " 

"  I've  told  her  that !  "  breathed  Neil. 

"  I  knew  you  would !  " 

Nathaniel  threw  another  handful  of  gold  on 
the  table. 

"  Five  hundred !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  It's  cheap 
enough  for  a  woman's  soul !  " 

He  motioned  for  Neil  to  put  the  money  in  his 
pocket.  The  pain  was  coming  back  into  his 
head,  he  grew  dizzy,  and  hastened  to  the  bench. 
Neil  came  and  sat  beside  him. 

"  So  you  think  it's  the  end?  "  he  asked.  He 
was  glad  that  his  companion  had  guessed  the 
truth. 

240 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

"Don't  you?" 

«  Yes." 

There  was  a  minute's  dark  silence.  The  tick- 
ing of  Nathaniel's  watch  sounded  like  the  tap- 
ping of  a  stick. 

"What  will  happen?" 

"  I  don't  know.  But  whatever  it  may  be  it 
will  come  to  us  soon.  Usually  it  happens  at 
night." 

"There  is  no  hope?" 

"  Absolutely  none.  The  whole  mainland  is 
at  the  mercy  of  Strang.  He  fears  no  retribu- 
tion now,  no  punishment  for  his  crimes,  no  hand 
stronger  than  his  own.  He  will  not  even  give 
us  the  pretense  of  a  hearing.  I  am  a  traitor,  a 
revolutionist  —  you  have  attempted  the  life  of 
the  king.  We  are  both  condemned  —  both 
doomed." 

Neil  spoke  calmly  and  his  companion  strove  to 
master  the  terrible  pain  at  his  heart  as  he 
thought  of  Marion.  If  Neil  could  go  to  the 
end  like  a  martyr  he  would  at  least  make  an  at- 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

tempt  to  do  as  much.  Yet  he  could  not  help 
from  saying: 

"  What  will  become  of  Marion?  " 

He  felt  the  tremor  that  passed  through  his 
companion's  body. 

"  I  have  implored  Winnsome  to  do  all  that  she 
can  to  get  her  away,"  replied  Neil.  "  If 
Marion  won't  go — "  He  clenched  his  hands 
with  a  moaning  curse  and  sprang  to  his  feet, 
again  pacing  back  and  forth  through  the 
gloomy  dungeon.  "  If  she  won't  go  I  swear 
that  Strang's  triumph  will  be  short  !"  he  cried 
suddenly.  "  I  can  not  guess  the  terrible  power 
that  the  king  possesses  over  her,  but  I  know  that 
once  his  wife  she  will  not  endure  it  long.  The 
moment  she  becomes  that,  her  bondage  is  broken. 
I  know  it.  I  have  seen  it  in  her  eyes.  She  will 
kill  herself!" 

Nathaniel  rose  slowly  from  the  bench  and 
came  to  his  side. 

"She  won't  do  that!"  he  groaned.  "My 
God  —  she  won't  do  that !  " 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

Neil's  face  was  blanched  to  the  whiteness  of 
paper. 

"  She  will,"  he  repeated  quietly.  "  Her  ter- 
rible pact  with  Strang  will  have  been  fulfilled. 
And  I  —  I  am  glad  —  glad  — " 

He  raised  his  arms  to  the  dripping  blackness 
of  the  dungeon  ceiling,  his  voice  shaking  with  a 
cold,  stifled  anguish.  Nathaniel  drew  back 
from  that  tall,  straight  figure,  step  by  step,  as 
though  to  hide  beyond  the  flickering  candle 
glow  the  betrayal  that  had  come  into  his  face, 
the  blazing  fire  that  seemed  burning  out  his 
eyes.  If  what  Neil  had  said  was  true  — 

Something  choked  him  as  he  dropped  alone 
upon  the  bench. 

If  it  was  true  —  Marion  was  dead ! 

He  dropped  his  head  in  his  hands  and  sat  for 
a  long  time  in  silence,  listening  to  Neil  as  he 
walked  tirelessly  over  the  muddy  earth.  Not 
until  there  came  a  rattling  of  the  chain  at  the 
cell  door  and  a  creaking  of  the  rusty  hinges  did 
he  lift  his  face.  It  was  the  jailer  with  a  huge 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

armful  of  straw.  He  saw  Neil  approach  him 
after  he  had  thrown  it  down.  Their  low  voices 
came  to  him  in  an  indistinct  murmur.  After  a 
little  he  caught  the  sound  of  the  chinking  gold 
pieces. 

Neil  came  and  sat  down  beside  him  as  the 
heavy  door  closed  upon  them  again. 

"  He  took  it,"  he  whispered  exultantly.  "  He 
will  deliver  it  this  morning.  If  possible  he  will 
bring  us  an  answer.  I  kept  out  a  hundred  and 
told  him  that  a  reply  would  be  worth  that  to 
him." 

Nathaniel  did  not  speak,  and  after  a  moment's 
silence  Neil  continued. 

"  The  jury  is  assembling.  We  will  know  our 
fate  very  soon." 

He  rose  to  his  feet,  his  words  quivering  with 
nervous  excitement,  and  Nathaniel  heard  him 
kicking  about  in  the  straw.  In  another  breath 
his  voice  hissed  through  the  gloom  in  a  sharp, 
startled  command: 

"  Good  God,  Nat,  come  here !  " 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

Something  in  the  strange  fierceness  of  Neil's 
words  startled  Nathaniel,  like  the  thrilling 
twinges  of  an  electric  shock.  He  darted  across 
the  cell  and  found  Marion's  brother  with  his 
shoulder  against  the  door. 

"  It's  open !  "  he  whispered.  "  The  door  — 
is  —  open !  " 

The  hinges  creaked  under  his  weight.  A 
current  of  air  struck  them  in  the  face.  An- 
other instant  and  they  stood  in  the  corridor,  list- 
ening, crushing  back  the  breath  in  their  lungs, 
not  daring  to  speak.  Only  the  drip  of  water 
came  to  their  ears.  Gently  Neil  drew  his  com- 
panion back  into  the  cell. 

"  There's  a  chance  —  one  chance  in  ten  thou- 
sand !  "  he  whispered.  "  At  the  end  of  this  cor- 
ridor there  is  a  door  —  the  jailer's  door.  If 
that's  not  locked,  we  can  make  a  run  for  it !  I'd 
rather  die  fighting  — •  than  here !  " 

He  slipped  out  again,  pressing  Nathaniel 
back. 

"Wait  for  me!" 

£45 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

Nathaniel  heard  him  stealing  slowly  through 
the  blackness.  A  minute  later  he  returned. 

"  Locked !  "  he  exclaimed. 

In  the  opposite  direction  a  ray  of  light  caught 
Nathaniel's  eye. 

"Where  does  that  light  come  from?"  he 
asked. 

"  Through  a  hole  about  as  big  as  your  two 
hands.  It  was  made  for  a  stove  pipe.  If  we 
were  up  there  we  could  see  into  .the  jury  room." 

They  moved  quietly  down  the  corridor  until 
they  stood  under  the  aperture,  which  was  four  or 
five  feet  above  their  heads.  Through  it  they 
could  hear  the  sound  of  voices  but  could  not  dis- 
tinguish the  words  that  were  being  spoken. 

"  The  jury,"  explained  Neil.  "  They're  in  a 
devil  of  a  hurry !  I  wonder  why  ?  " 

Nathaniel  could  feel  his  companion  shrug  him- 
self in  the  darkness. 

"  Lord  —  for  my  revolver !  "  he  whispered 
excitedly.  "  One  shot  through  that  hole  would 
be  worth  a  thousand  notes  to  the  girls ! "  He 
246 


WINN SOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

caught  Marion's  brother  by  the  arm  as  a  voice 
louder  than  the  others  came  to  them. 

"Strang!" 

"  Yes  —  the  —  king !  "  affirmed  Neil  laying 
an  expostulating  hand  on  him.  "  Hush !  " 

"  I  would  like  to  see  — " 

Even  in  these  last  hours  of  failure  and  de- 
feat the  fire  of  adventure  flamed  up  in  Nathan- 
iel's blood.  He  felt  his  nerves  leaping  again  to 
action,  his  arms  grew  tense  with  new  ambition  — 
almost  he  forgot  that  death  had  him  cornered 
and  was  already  preparing  to  strike  him  down. 
Another  thought  replaced  all  fear  of  this.  A 
few  feet  beyond  that  log  wall  were  gathered  the 
men  whose  bloodthirsty  deeds  had  written  for 
them  one  of  the  reddest  pages  in  history  —  men 
who  had  burned  their  souls  out  in  the  destruction 
of  human  lives,  whose  passions  and  loves  and 
hatreds  carried  with  them  life  and  death;  men 
who  had  bathed  themselves  in  blood  and  lived  in 
blood  until  the  people  of  the  mainland  called 
them  "  the  leeches," 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  The  Mormon  jury!  "  Nathaniel  spoke  the 
words  scarcely  above  his  breath. 

"  Pd  like  to  take  a  look  through  that  hole, 
Neil,"  he  added. 

"  Easy  enough  —  if  you  keep  quiet.  Here !  " 
He  doubled  himself  against  the  wall.  "  Climb 
up  on  my  shoulders." 

No  sooner  had  Nathaniel's  face  come  to  a 
level  with  the  hole  than  a  soft  cry  of  astonish- 
ment escaped  him.  Neil  whispered  hoarsely  but 
he  did  not  reply.  He  was  looking  into  a  room 
twice  as  large  as  the  dungeon  cell  and  lighted 
by  narrow  windows  whose  lower  panes  were  on  a 
level  with  the  ground  outside.  At  the  farther 
end  of  the  room,  in  full  view,  was  a  platform 
raised  several  feet  from  the  main  floor.  On 
this  platform  were  seated  ten  men,  immovable  as 
statues,  every  face  gazing  straight  ahead.  Di- 
rectly in  front  of  them,  on  the  lower  floor,  stood 
the  Mormon  king,  and  at  his  side,  partly  held 
in  the  embrace  of  one  of  his  arms  was  Winn- 


some! 


248 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

Strang's  voice  came  to  him  in  a  low,  solemn 
monotone,  its  rumbling  depth  drowning  the 
words  he  was  speaking,  and  as  Nathaniel  saw 
him  lift  his  arm  from  about  the  girl's  shoulders 
and  place  his  great  hand  upon  her  head  he  dug 
his  own  fingers  fiercely  into  the  rotting  logs 
and  an  imprecation  burned  in  his  breath.  He 
did  not  need  to  hear  what  the  king  was  saying. 
It  was  a  pantomime  in  which  every  gesture  was 
understandable.  But  even  Neil,  huddled  against 
the  wall,  heard  the  last  words  of  the  prophet  as 
they  thundered  forth  in  sudden  passion. 

"  Winnsome  Croche  demands  the  death  of  her 
father's  murderer ! " 

Nathaniel  felt  his  companion's  shoulders  sink- 
ing under  his  weight  and  he  leaped  quickly  to 
the  floor. 

"  Winnsome  is  there !  "  he  panted  desperately. 
"  Do  you  want  to  see  her?  " 

Neil  hesitated. 

"  No.  Your  boots  gouge  my  shoulder.  Take 
them  off." 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

The  scene  had  changed  when  Nathaniel  took 
his  position  again.  The  jury  had  left  its  plat- 
form and  was  filing  through  a  small  door. 
.Winnsome  and  the  king  were  along. 

The  girl  had  turned  from  him.  She  was 
deathly  pale  and  yet  she  was  wondrously  beau- 
tiful, so  beautiful  that  Nathaniel's  breath  came 
in  quick  dread  as  the  king  approached  her.  He 
could  see  the  triumph  in  his  eyes,  a  terrible 
eagerness  in  his  face.  He  seized  Winnsome's 
hand  and  spoke  to  her  in  a  soft,  low  voice,  so 
low  that  it  came  to  Nathaniel  only  in  a  murmur. 
Then,  in  a  moment,  he  began  stroking  the  shim- 
mering glory  of  her  hair,  caressing  the  silken 
curls  between  his  fingers  until  the  blood  seemed 
as  if  it  must  burst,  like  hot  sweat  from  Nathan- 
iel's face.  Suddenly  Winnsome  drew  back  from 
him,  the  pallor  gone  from  her  face,  her  eyes 
blazing  like  angry  stars.  She  had  retreated  but 
a  step  when  the  prophet  sprang  to  her  and 
caught  her  in  his  arms,  straining  her  to  him  un- 
til the  scream  on  her  lips  was  choked  to  a  gasp- 
250 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

ing  cry.  In  answer  to  that  cry  a  yell  of  rage 
hurled  itself  from  Nathaniel's  throat. 

"  Stop,  you  hell-hound ! "  he  cried  threaten- 
ingly. "Stop!" 

He  shrieked  the  words  again  and  again,  mad- 
dened beyond  control,  and  the  Mormon  king, 
whose  self-possession  was  more  that  of  devil 
than  man,  still  held  the  struggling  girl  in  his 
arms  as  he  turned  his  head  toward  the  voice  and 
saw  Nathaniel's  long  arm  and  knotted  fist 
threatening  him  through  the  hole  in  the  wall. 
Then  Neil's  name  in  a  piercing  scream  re- 
sounded through  the  dungeon  corridor  and  in 
response  to  it  the  man  under  Nathaniel  straight- 
ened himself  so  quickly  that  his  companion  fell 
back  to  the  floor. 

"Great  God!  what  is  the  matter,  Nat? 
Quick !  let  me  up !  " 

Nathaniel  staggered  to  his  feet,  the  breath 
half  gone  out  of  his  body,  and  in  another  in- 
stant Neil  was  at  the  opening.  The  great  room 
into  which  he  looked  was  empty. 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"What  was  it?"  he  cried,  leaping  down. 
"  What  were  they  doing  with  Winnsome?  " 

"  It  was  the  king,"  said  Nathaniel,  struggling 
to  master  himself.  "  The  king  put  his  arms 
around  Winnsome  and  —  she  struck  him !  " 

"That  was  all?  " 

"  He  kissed  her  as  she  fought  —  and  I 
yelled." 

"  She  struck  him !  "  Neil  cried.  "  God  bless 
little  Winnsome,  Nat !  and  —  God  bless  her !  " 

Neil's  breath  came  fast  as  he  caught  the 
other's  hand. 

"  I'd  give  my  life  if  I  could  help  you  —  and 
Marion ! " 

"We'll  give  them  together,"  said  Nathaniel 
coolly,  turning  down  the  corridor.  "  Here's 
our  chance.  They'll  come  through  that  door  to 
relock  us  in  our  cell.  Shall  we  die  fighting?  " 

He  was  groping  about  in  the  mud  of  the  floor 
for  some  object. 

"  If  we  had  a  couple  of  stones  — " 

"  It   would   be   madness  —  worse   than   mad- 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

ness ! "  interposed  Neil,  steadying  himself. 
"  There  will  be  a  dozen  rifles  at  that  door  when 
they  open  it.  We  must  return  to  the  cell.  It  is 
worth  dying  a  harder  death  to  hear  from  Marion 
and  Winnsome.  And  we  will  hear  from  them 
before  night !  " 

They  retreated  into  the  dungeon.  A  few 
minutes  later  the  door  opened  cautiously  at  the 
head  of  the  corridor.  A  light  blazed  through 
the  blackness  and  after  an  interval  of  silence  the 
jailer  made  his  appearance  in  front  of  the  cell,  a 
pistol  in  his  hand. 

"  Don't  be  afraid,  Jeekum,"  said  Neil  reas- 
suringly. "  You  forgot  the  door  and  we've 
been  having  a  little  fun  with  the  jury.  That's 
all!" 

The  nervous  whiteness  left  Jeekum's  face  at 
this  cheerful  report  and  he  was  about  to  close 
the  door  when  Nathaniel  exhibited  a  handful  of 
gold  pieces  in  the  candle-light  and  frantically 
beckoned  the  man  to  come  in.  The  jailer's  eyes 
glittered  understandingly  and  with  a  backward 
253 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

glance  down  the  lighted  corridor  he  thrust  his 
head  and  shoulders  inside. 

"  Five  hundred  dollars  for  that  note ! "  he 
whispered.  "  Five  hundred  beside  the  four 
you've  got ! " 

"  Jeekum's  a  fool !  "  said  Neil,  as  the  door 
closed  on  them.  "  I  feel  sorry  for  him." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  he  is  accepting  the  money.  Don't 
you  suppose  that  you  have  been  searched?  Of 
course  you  have  —  probably  before  I  came,  while 
you  were  half  dead  on  the  floor.  Somebody 
knows  that  you  have  the  gold." 

"  Why  hasn't  it  been  taken?  " 

For  a  full  minute  Neil  made  no  answer.  And 
his  answer,  when  it  did  come,  first  of  all  was  a 
laugh. 

"  By  George,  that's  good !  "  he  cried  exult- 
ingly.  "  Of  course  you  were  searched  —  and  by 
Jeekum!  He  knows,  but  he  hasn't  made  a  re- 
port of  it  to  Strang  because  he  believes  that  in 
some  way  he  will  get  hold  of  the  money.  He  is 
254 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

taking  a  big  risk  —  but  he's  winning !  I  won- 
der what  his  first  scheme  was  ?  " 

"  Thought  I'd  bury  it,  perhaps,"  vouchsafed 
Nathaniel,  throwing  himself  upon  the  straw. 
"  There's  room  for  two  here,  Neil." 

A  long  silence  fell  between  them.  The  action 
during  the  last  few  minutes  had  been  too  great 
an  effort  for  Nathaniel  and  his  wound  troubled 
him  again.  As  the  pain  and  his  terrible 
thoughts  of  Marion's  fate  returned  to  him  he 
regretted  that  they  had  not  ended  it  all  in  one 
last  fight  at  the  door.  There,  at  least,  they 
might  have  died  like  men  instead  of  waiting  to 
be  shot  down  like  dogs,  their  hands  bound  be- 
hind them,  their  breasts  naked  to  the  Mormon 
rifles.  He  did  not  fear  death.  In  more  than 
one  game  he  had  played  against  its  hand,  more 
often  for  love  of  the  sport  than  not,  but  there 
was  a  horror  in  being  penned  up  and  tortured  by 
it.  He  had  come  to  look  upon  it  as  a  fair  enemy, 
filled  of  course  with  subterfuge  and  treachery, 
which  were  the  laws  of  the  game;  but  he  had 
255 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

never  dreamed  of  it  as  anything  but  merciful  in 
its  quickness.  It  was  as  if  his  adversary  had 
broken  an  inviolable  pact  with  him  and  he 
sweated  and  tossed  on  his  bed  of  straw  while 
Neil  sat  cool  and  silent  on  the  bench  against  the 
dungeon  wall.  Sheer  exhaustion  brought  him 
relief,  and  after  a  time  he  fell  asleep. 

He  was  awakened  by  Neil.  The  white  face  of 
Marion's  brother  was  over  him  when  he  opened 
his  eyes  and  he  was  shaking  him  roughly  by  the 
shoulder. 

"  Wake  up,  Nat !  "  he  cried.  "  For  Heaven's 
sake  —  wake  up !  " 

He  drew  back  as  Nathaniel  sleepily  roused 
himself. 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,  Nat,"  he  apologized, 
laughing  nervously.  "  You've  lain  there  like  a 
dead  man  for  hours.  My  head  is  splitting  with 
this  damned  silence.  Come  —  smoke  up !  I  got 
some  tobacco  from  our  jailer  and  he  loaned  me 
his  pipe." 

Nathaniel  jumped  to  his  feet.  A  fresh  candle 
256 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

was  burning  on  the  table  and  in  its  light  he  saw 
that  a  startling  change  had  come  into  Neil's 
face  during  the  hours  he  had  slept.  It  looked  to 
him  thinner  and  whiter,  its  lines  had  deepened, 
and  the  young  man's  eyes  were  filled  with 
gloomy  dejection. 

"  Why  didn't  you  awaken  me  sooner  ?  "  he 
exclaimed.  "  I  deserve  a  good  drubbing  for 
leaving  you  alone  here !  "  He  saw  fresh  food 
on  the  table.  "  It's  late  — "  he  began. 

"  That  is  our  dinner  and  supper,"  interrupted 
Neil.  He  held  his  watch  close  to  the  candle. 
"Half  past  eight!" 

"  And  no  word  —  from  — " 

"  No." 

The  two  men  looked  deeply  into  each  other's 
eyes. 

"  Jeekum  delivered  my  note  to  her  at  noon 
when  he  was  relieved,"  said  Neil.  "  He  did  not 
carry  it  personally  but  swears  that  he  saw  her 
receive  it.  He  sent  her  word  that  he  would  call 
at  a  certain  place  for  a  reply  when  he  was  re- 
257 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

lieved  again  at  five.     There  was  no  reply  for 
him  —  not  a  word  from  Winnsome." 

Their  silence  was  painful.  It  was  Nathaniel 
who  spoke  first,  hesitatingly,  as  though  afraid  to 
say  what  was  passing  in  his  mind. 

"  I  killed  Winnsome's  father,  Neil,"  he  said, 
"  and  Winnsome  has  demanded  my  death.  I 
know  that  I  am  condemned  to  die.  But  you  — " 
His  eyes  flashed  sudden  fire.  "  How  do  you 
know  that  my  fate  is  to  be  yours?  I  begin  to 
see  the  truth.  Winnsome  has  not  answered  your 
note  because  she  knows  that  you  are  to  live  and 
that  she  will  see  you  soon.  Between  Winnsome 
and  —  Marion  you  will  be  saved !  " 

Neil  had  taken  a  piece  of  meat  and  was  eat- 
ing it  as  though  he  had  not  heard  his  compan- 
ion's words. 

"  Help  yourself,  Nat.  It's  our  last  oppor- 
tunity." 

"You  don't  believe— " 

"  No.     Lord,    man,    do    you    suppose    that 
Strang  is  going  to  let  me  live  to  kill  him  ?  " 
258 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

Somebody  was  fumbling  with  the  chain  at 
the  dungeon  door. 

The  two  men  stared  as  it  opened  slowly  and 
Jeekum  appeared.  The  jailer  was  highly  ex- 
cited. 

"  I've  got  word  —  but  no  note !  "  he  whis- 
pered hoarsely.  "  Quick !  Is  it  worth  — " 

"  Yes !     Yes !  " 

Nathaniel  dug  the  gold  pieces  out  of  his 
pockets  and  dropped  them  into  the  jailer's  out- 
stretched hand. 

"  I've  had  my  boy  watching  Winnsome 
Croche's  house,"  continued  the  sheriff,  white 
with  the  knowledge  of  the  risk  he  was  taking. 
"  An  hour  ago  Winnsome  came  out  of  the  house 
and  went  into  the  woods.  My  boy  followed. 
She  ran  to  the  lake,  got  into  a  skiff,  and  rowed 
straight  out  to  sea.  She  is  following  your  in- 
structions !  " 

In  his  excitement  he  betrayed  himself.  He 
had  read  the  note. 

There  came  a  sound  up  the  corridor,  the  open- 
259 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

ing  of  a  door,  the  echo  of  voices,  and  Jeekum 
leaped  back.  Nathaniel's  foot  held  the  cell 
door  from  closing. 

"  Where  is  Marion  ? "  he  cried  softly,  his 
heart  standing  still  with  dread.  "  Great  God  — 
what  about  Marion  ?  " 

For  an  instant  the  sheriff's  ghastly  face  was 
pressed  against  the  opening. 

"  Marion  has  not  been  seen  since  morning. 
The  king's  officers  are  searching  for  her." 

The  door  slammed,  the  chains  clanked  loudly, 
and  above  the  sound  of  Jeekum's  departure 
Neil's  voice  rose  in  a  muffled  cry  of  joy. 

"  They  are  gone !  They  are  leaving  the 
island!" 

Nathaniel  stood  like  one  turned  into  stone. 
His  heart  grew  cold  within  him.  When  he  spoke 
his  words  were  passionless  echoes  of  what  had 
been. 

"  You  are  sure  that  Marion  would  kill  herself 
as  soon  as  she  became  the  wife  of  Strang?  "  he 
asked. 

260 


WINNSOME'S  VERDICT  OF  DEATH 

"  Yes  —  before  his  vile  hands  touched  more 
than  the  dress  she  wore !  "  shouted  Neil. 

"  Then  Marion  is  dead,"  replied  Nathaniel, 
as  coldly  as  though  he  were  talking  to  the  walls 
about  him.  "  For  last  night  Marion  was  forced 
into  the  harem  of  the  king." 

As  he  revealed  the  secret  whose  torture  he 
meant  to  keep  imprisoned  in  his  own  breast  he 
dropped  upon  the  pallet  of  straw  and  buried  his 
face  between  his  arms,  cursing  himself  that  he 
had  weakened  in  these  last  hours  of  their  com- 
radeship. 

He  dared  not  look  to  see  the  effect  of  his  words 
on  Neil.  His  companion  uttered  no  sound. 
Instead  there  was  a  silence  that  was  terrifying. 

At  the  end  of  it  Neil  spoke  in  a  voice  so 
strangely  calm  that  Nathaniel  sat  up  and  stared 
at  him  through  the  gloom. 

"  I  believe  they  are  coming  after  us,  Nat. 
Listen!" 

The  tread  of  many  feet  came  to  them  faintly 
from  beyond  the  corridor  wall. 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

Nathaniel  had  risen.  They  drew  close  to- 
gether, and  their  hands  clasped. 

"  Whatever  it  may  be,"  whispered  Neil,  "  may 
God  have  mercy  on  our  souls !  " 

"  Amen !  "  breathed  Captain  Plum. 


CHAPTER  XI 

"  THE    STRAIGHT   DEATH5' 

HANDS  were  fumbling  with  the  chain  at  the 
dungeon  door. 

It  opened  and  Jeekum's  ashen  face  shone  in 
the  candle-light.  For  a  moment  his  frightened 
eyes  rested  on  the  two  men  still  standing  in  their 
last  embrace  of  friendship.  A  word  of  betrayal 
from  them  and  he  knew  that  his  own  doom  was 
sealed. 

He  came  in,  followed  by  four  men.  One  of 
them  was  MacDougall,  the  king's  whipper.  In 
the  corridor  were  other  faces,  like  ghostly  shad- 
ows in  the  darkness.  Only  MacDougall's  face 
was  uncovered.  The  others  were  hidden  behind 
white  masks.  The  men  uttered  no  sound  but 
ranged  themselves  like  specters  in  front  of  the 
door,  their  cocked  rifles  swung  into  the  crooks 
263 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

of  their  arms.  There  was  a  triumphant  leer  on 
MacDougall's  lips  as  he  and  the  jailer  ap- 
proached. As  the  whipper  bound  Neil's  hands 
behind  his  back  he  hissed  in  his  ear. 

"  This  will  be  a  better  job  than  the  whipping, 
damn  you ! " 

Neil  laughed. 

"  Hear  that,  Nat?  "  he  asked,  loud  enough 
for  all  in  the  cell  to  hear.  "  MacDougall  says 
this  will  be  a  better  job  than  the  whipping.  He 
remembers  how  I  thrashed  him  once  when  he 
said  something  to  Marion  one  day." 

Neil  was  as  cool  as  though  acting  his  part  in 
a  play.  His  face  was  flushed,  his  eyes  gleamed 
fearlessly  defiant.  And  Nathaniel,  looking 
upon  the  courage  of  this  man,  from  under 
whose  feet  had  been  swept  all  hope  of  life,  felt 
a  twinge  of  shame  at  his  own  nervousness.  Mac- 
Dougall grew  black  with  passion  at  the  taunt- 
ing reminder  of  his  humiliation  and  tightened 
the  thongs  about  Neil's  wrists  until  they  cut 
into  the  flesh. 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

"That's  enough,  'you  coward!"  exclaimed 
Nathaniel,  as  he  saw  the  blood  start.  "  Here  — 
take  this ! " 

Like  lightning  he  struck  out  and  his  fist  fell 
with  crushing  force  against  the  side  of  the  man's 
head.  MacDougall  toppled  back  with  a  hollow 
groan,  blood  spurting  from  his  mouth  and  nose. 
Nathaniel  turned  coolly  to  the  four  rifles  leveled 
at  his  breast. 

"  A  pretty  puppet  to  do  the  king's  com- 
mands ! "  he  cried.  "  If  there's  a  man  among 
you  let  him  finish  the  work !  " 

Jeekum  had  fallen  upon  his  knees  beside  the 
whipper. 

"Great  God!"  he  shrieked.  "You've  killed 
him !  You've  stove  in  the  side  of  his  head !  " 

There  was  a  sudden  commotion  in  the  corri- 
dor. A  terrible  voice  boomed  forth  in  a  roar. 

"Let  me  in!" 

Strang  stood  in  the  door.  He  gave  a  single 
glance  at  the  man  gasping  and  bleeding  in  the 
mud.  Then  he  looked  at  Nathaniel.  The  eyes 
265 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

of  the  two  men  met  unflinching.  There  was  no 
hatred  now  in  the  prophet's  face. 

"  Captain  Plum,  I  would  give  a  tenth  of  my 
kingdom  for  a  brother  like  you !  "  he  said  calmly. 
"Here  — I  will  finish  the  work."  He  went 
boldly  to  the  task,  and  as  he  tied  Nathaniel's 
arms  behind  him  he  added,  "  The  vicissitudes  of 
war,  Captain  Plum.  You  are  a  man  —  and  can 
appreciate  what  they  sometimes  mean ! " 

A  few  minutes  later,  gagged  and  bound,  the 
prisoners  fell  behind  two  of  the  armed  guards 
and  at  a  command  from  the  king,  given  in  a 
low  tone  to  Jeekum,  marched  through  the  corri- 
dor and  up  the  short  flight  of  steps  that  led  out 
of  the  jail.  To  Nathaniel's  astonishment  there 
was  no  light  to  guide  them.  Candles  and  lights 
had  been  extinguished.  What  words  he  heard 
were  spoken  in  whispers.  In  the  deep  shadow 
of  the  prison  wall  a  third  guard  joined  the  two 
ahead  and  like  automatons  they  strode  through 
the  gloom  with  slow,  measured  step,  their  rifles 
held  with  soldierly  precision.  Nathaniel  glanced 
266 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

over  his  shoulder  and  saw  three  other  white 
masked  faces  a  dozen  feet  away.  The  king  had 
remained  behind. 

He  shuddered  and  looked  at  Neil.  His  com- 
panion's appearance  was  almost  startling.  He 
seemed  half  a  head  taller  than  himself,  yet  he 
knew  that  he  was  shorter  by  an  inch  or  two ; 
his  shoulders  were  thrown  back,  his  chin  held 
high,  he  kept  step  with  the  guards  ahead.  He 
was  marching  to  his  death  as  coolly  as  though 
on  parade. 

Nathaniel's  heart  beat  excitedly  as  they  came 
to  where  the  scrub  of  the  forest  met  the  plain. 
They  were  taking  the  path  that  led  to  Marion's ! 
Again  he  looked  at  Neil.  There  was  no  change 
in  the  fearless  attitude  of  Marion's  brother,  no 
lowering  of  his  head,  no  faltering  in  his  step. 
They  passed  the  graves  and  entered  the  opening 
in  the  forest  where  lay  Marion's  home,  and  as 
once  more  the  sweet  odor  of  lilac  came  to  him, 
awakening  within  his  soul  all  those  things  that 
he  had  tried  to  stifle  that  he  might  meet  death 
267 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

like  a  man,  he  felt  himself  weakening,  until  only 
the  cloth  about  his  mouth  restrained  the  moan- 
ing cry  that  forced  itself  to  his  lips.  If  he  had 
possessed  a  life  to  give  he  would  have  sacrificed 
it  gladly  then  for  a  word  with  the  Mormon  king, 
a  last  prayer  that  death  might  be  meted  to  him 
here,  where  eternity  would  come  to  him  with  his 
glazing  eyes  fixed  to  the  end  upon  the  home 
of  his  beloved,  and  where  the  sweetness  of  the 
flower  that  had  become  a  part  of  Marion  her- 
self might  soothe  the  pain  of  his  final  moment  on 
earth. 

His  heart  leaped  with  hope  as  a  sharp  voice 
from  the  rear  commanded  a  halt.  It  was  Jee- 
kiim.  He  came  up  out  of  the  darkness  from 
behind  the  rear  guard,  his  face  still  unmasked, 
and  for  a  few  moments  was  in  whispered  con- 
sultation with  the  guards  ahead.  Had  Strang, 
in  the  virulence  of  that  hatred  which  he  con- 
cealed so  well,  conceived  of  this  spot  to  give 
added  torment  to  death?  It  was  the  poetry  of 
vengeance!  For  the  first  time  Neil  turned  to- 
268 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

ward  his  companion.  Each  read  what  the  other 
had  guessed.  Neil,  who  was  nearest  to  the 
whispering  four,  turned  suddenly  toward  them 
and  listened.  When  he  looked  at  Nathaniel 
again  it  was  with  a  slow  negative  shake  of  his 
head. 

Jeekum  returned  quickly  and  placed  himself 
between  them,  seizing  each  by  an  arm,  and  the 
forward  guards,  pivoting  to  the  left,  set  off  at 
their  steady  pace  across  the  clearing.  As  they 
entered  the  denser  gloom  of  the  forest  on  the 
farther  side  Nathaniel  felt  the  jailer's  fingers 
tighten  about  his  arm,  then  relax  —  and  tighten 
again.  A  gentle  pressure  held  him  back  and  the 
guards  in  front  gained  half  a  dozen  feet.  In 
a  low  voice  Jeekum  called  for  those  behind  to 
fall  a  few  paces  to  the  rear. 

Then  came  again  the  mysterious  working  of 
the  man's  fingers  on  Nathaniel's  arm. 

Was  Jeekum  signaling  to  him? 

He  could  see  Neil's  white  face  still  turned 
stoically  to  the  front.     Evidently  nothing  had 
269 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

occurred  to  arouse  his  suspicions.  If  the 
maneuvering  of  Jeekum's  fingers  meant  any- 
thing it  was  intended  for  him  alone.  Action 
had  been  the  manna  of  his  life.  The  possibility 
of  new  adventure,  even  in  the  face  of  death, 
thrilled  him.  He  waited,  breathless  —  and  the 
strange  pressure  came  again,  so  hard  that  it 
hurt  his  flesh. 

There  was  no  longer  a  doubt  in  his  mind. 
The  king's  sheriff  wanted  to  speak  to  him. 

And  he  was  afraid  of  the  eyes  and  ears  be- 
hind. 

The  fingers  were  cautioning  him  to  be  ready 
— •  when  the  opportunity  came. 

The  path  widened  and  through  the  thin  tree- 
tops  above  their  heads  the  starlight  filtered 
down  upon  them.  The  leading  guards  were 
twenty  feet  away.  How  far  behind  were  the 
others  ? 

A  moment  more  and  they  plunged  into  deep 
night  again.  The  figures  ahead  were  mere 
shadows.  Again  the  fingers  dug  into  Nathan- 
270 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

iel's  arm,  and  pressing  close  to  the  sheriff  he 
bent  down  his  head. 

A  low,  quick  whisper  fell  in  his  ear. 

"  Don't  give  up  hope !  Marion  —  Winn- 
some  — " 

The  sheriff  jerked  himself  erect  without  fin- 
ishing. Hurried  footsteps  had  come  close  to 
their  heels.  The  rear  guards  were  so  near  that 
they  could  have  touched  them  with  their  guns. 
Had  some  spot  of  lesser  gloom  ahead  betrayed 
the  prisoner's  bowed  head  and  Jeekum's  white 
face  turned  to  it?  There  was  a  steady  pressure 
on  Nathaniel's  arm  now,  a  warning,  frightened 
pressure,  and  the  hand  that  made  it  trembled. 
Jeekum  feared  the  worst  —  but  his  fear  was  not 
greater  than  the  chill  of  disappointment  that 
came  to  smother  the  excited  beating  of  Nathan- 
iel's heart.  What  had  the  jailer  meant  to  say? 
What  did  he  know  about  Marion  and  Winn- 
some,  and  why  had  he  given  birth  to  new  hope 
in  the  same  breath  that  he  mentioned  their 
names  ? 

271 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

His  words  carried  at  least  one  conviction. 
Marion  was  alive  despite  her  brother's  somber 
prophesies.  If  she  had  killed  herself  the  sheriff 
would  not  have  coupled  her  name  with  Winn- 
some's  in  the  way  he  had. 

Nathaniel's  nerves  were  breaking  with  sus- 
pense. He  stifled  his  breath  to  listen,  to  catch 
the  faintest  whisper  that  might  come  to  him 
from  the  white  faced  man  at  his  side.  Each 
passing  moment  of  silence  added  to  his  despera- 
tion. He  squeezed  the  sheriff's  hand  with  his 
arm,  but  there  was  no  responding  signal;  in  a 
patch  of  thick  gloom  that  almost  concealed  the 
figures  ahead  he  pressed  near  to  him  and  low- 
ered his  head  again  —  and  Jeekum  pushed  him 
back  fiercely,  with  a  low  curse. 

They  emerged  from  the  forest  and  the  clear 
starlight  shone  down  upon  them.  A  little  dis- 
tance off  lay  the  lake  in  shimmering  stillness. 
Nathaniel  looked  boldly  at  the  sheriff  now,  and 
as  his  glance  passed  beyond  him  he  was  amazed 
at  the  change  that  had  come  over  Neil.  The 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

young  man's  head  was  bowed  heavily  upon  his 
breast,  his  shoulders  were  hunched  forward,  and 
he  walked  with  a  listless,  Uneven  step.  Was  it 
possible  that  his  magnificent  courage  had  at  last 
given  way? 

A  hundred  steps  farther  they  came  to  the 
beach  and  Nathaniel  saw  a  boat  at  the  water's 
edge  with  a  single  figure  guarding  it.  Straight 
to  this  Jeekum  led  his  prisoners.  For  the  first 
time  he  spoke  to  them  aloud. 

"  One  in  front,  the  other  in  back,"  he  said. 

For  an  instant  Nathaniel  found  himself  close 
beside  Neil  and  he  prodded  him  sharply  with  his 
knee.  His  companion  did  not  lift  his  head. 
He  made  no  sign,  gave  no  last  flashing  com- 
radeship with  his  eyes,  but  climbed  into  the  bow 
of  the  boat  and  sat  down  with  his  chin  still  on 
his  chest,  like  a  man  lost  in  stupor. 

Nathaniel  followed  him,  scarcely  believing  his 
eyes,  and  sat  himself  in  the  stern,  leaning  com- 
fortably against  the  knees  of  the  man  who  took 
the  tiller.  He  felt  a  curious  thrill  pass  through 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

him  when  he  discovered  a  moment  later  that  this 
man  was  Jeekum.  Two  men  seized  the  oars 
amidships.  A  fourth,  with  his  rifle  across  his 
knees  sat  facing  Neil. 

For  the  first  time  Nathaniel  found  himself 
wondering  what  this  voyage  meant.  Were  they 
to  be  rowed  far  down  the  shore  to  some  secret 
fastness  where  no  other  ears  would  hear  the 
sound  of  the  avenging  rifles,  and  where,  a  few  in- 
ches under  the  forest  mold,  their  bodies  would 
never  be  discovered?  Each  stroke  of  the  oars 
added  to  the  remoteness  of  this  possibility.  The 
boat  was  heading  straight  out  to  sea.  Perhaps 
they  were  to  meet  a  less  terrible  death  by  drown- 
ing, an  end  which,  though  altogether  unpleasant, 
held  something  comforting  in  it  for  Captain 
Plum.  Two  hours  passed  without  pause  in  the 
steady  labor  of  the  men  at  the  oars.  In  those 
hours  not  a  word  was  spoken.  The  two  men 
amidships  held  no  communication.  The  guard 
in  the  bow  moved  a  little  now  and  then  only  to 
relieve  his  cramped  limbs.  Neil  was  absolutely 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH, 

motionless,  as  though  he  had  ceased  to  breathe. 
Jeekum  uttered  not  a  whisper. 

It  was  his  whisper  that  Nathaniel  waited  for, 
the  signaling  clutch  of  his  fingers,  the  sound  of 
his  breath  close  to  his  ears.  Again  and  again 
he  pressed  himself  against  the  sheriff's  knees. 
He  knew  that  he  was  understood,  and  yet  there 
came  no  answer.  At  last  he  looked  up,  and 
Jeekum's  face  was  far  above  him,  staring 
straight  and  unseeing  into  the  darkness  ahead. 
His  last  spark  of  hope  went  out. 

After  a  time  a  dark  rim  loomed  slowly  up  out 
of  the  sea.  It  was  land,  half  a  mile  or  so  away. 
Nathaniel  sat  up  with  fresh  interest,  and  as 
they  drew  nearer  Jeekum  rose  to  his  feet  and 
gazed  long  and  steadily  in  both  directions  along 
the  coast.  When  he  returned  to  his  seat  the 
boat's  course  was  changed.  A  few  minutes  later 
the  bow  grated  upon  sand.  Still  voiceless  as 
specters  the  guards  leaped  ashore  and  Neil 
roused  himself  to  follow  them,  climbing  over  the 
gunwale  like  a  sick  man.  Nathaniel  was  close 
275 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

at  his  heels.  With  a  growing  sense  of  horror 
he  saw  two  ghostly  stakes  thrusting  themselves 
out  of  the  beach  a  dozen  paces  away.  He 
looked  beyond  them.  As  far  as  he  could  see 
there  was  sand  —  nothing  but  sand,  as  white  as 
paper,  scintillating  in  a  billion  flashing  needle- 
points in  the  starlight.  Instinctively  he  guessed 
what  the  stakes  were  for,  and  walked  toward 
them  with  the  blood  turning  cold  in  his  veins. 
Neil  was  before  him  and  stopped  at  the  first 
stake,  making  no  effort  to  lift  his  eyes  as  Na- 
thaniel strode  past  him.  At  the  second,  a  dozen 
feet  beyond,  Nathaniel's  two  guards  halted,  and 
placed  him  with  his  back  to  the  post.  Two  min- 
utes later,  bound  hand  and  foot  to  the  stake, 
he  shifted  his  head  so  that  he  could  look  at  his 
companion. 

Neil  was  similarly  fastened,  with  his  face 
turned  partly  toward  him.  There  was  no 
change  in  his  attitude.  His  head  hung  weakly 
upon  his  chest,  as  if  he  had  fainted. 

What  did  it  mean? 

276 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

Suddenly  every  nerve  in  Nathaniel's  body 
leaped  into  excited  action. 

The  guards  were  entering  their  boat!  The 
last  man  was  shoving  it  off  —  they  were  rowing 
away!  His  throbbing  muscles  seemed  ready  to 
burst  their  bonds.  The  boat  became  indistinct 
in  the  starry  gloom  —  a  mere  shadow  —  and 
faded  in  the  distance.  The  sound  of  oars  be- 
came fainter  and  fainter.  Then,  after  a  little, 
there  was  wafted  back  to  him  from  far  out  in 
the  lake  a  man's  voice  —  the  wild  snatch  of  a 
song.  The  Mormons  were  gone!  They  were 
not  to  be  shot !  They  were  not  — 

A  voice  spoke  to  him,  startling  him  so  that  he 
would  have  cried  out  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
cloth  that  gagged  him.  It  was  Neil,  speaking 
coolly,  laughingly. 

"  How  are  you,  Nat?  " 

Nathaniel's  staring  eyes  revealed  his  astonish- 
ment.    He  could  see  Neil  laughing  at  him  as 
though  it  was  an  unusually  humorous  joke  in 
which  they  were  playing  a  part. 
277 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  Lord,  but  this  is  a  funny  mess !  "  he  chuck- 
led. "  Here  am  I,  able  and  willing  to  talk  — 
and  there  you  are,  as  dumb  as  a  mummy,  and 
looking  for  all  the  world  as  if  you'd  seen  a 
ghost!  What's  the  matter?  Aren't  you  glad 
we're  not  going  to  be  shot?  " 

Nathaniel  nodded. 

The  other's  voice  became  suddenly  sober. 

"  This  is  worse  than  the  other,  Nat.  It's 
what  we  call  the  <  Straight  Death.'  Unless 
something  turns  up  between  now  and  to-morrow 
morning,  or  a  little  later,  we'll  be  as  dead  as 
though  they  had  filled  us  with  bullets.  Our 
only  hope  rests  in  the  fact  that  I  can  use  my 
lungs.  That's  why  I  didn't  let  them  know  when 
my  gag  became  loose.  I  had  the  devil's  own 
time  keeping  it  from  falling  with  my  chin; 
pretty  near  broke  my  neck  doing  it.  A  little 
later,  when  we're  sure  Jeekum  and  his  men  are 
out  of  hearing,  I'll  begin  calling  for  help.  Per- 
haps some  fisherman  or  hunter — " 

He  stopped,  and  a  chill  ran  up  Nathaniel's 
278 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

back  as  he  listened  to  a  weird  howl  that  came 
from  far  behind  them.  It  was  a  blood-curdling 
sound  and  his  face  turned  a  more  ghastly  pallor 
as  he  gazed  inquiringly  at  Neil.  His  compan- 
ion saw  the  terrible  question  in  his  face. 

"  Wolves,"  he  said.  "  They're  away  back  in 
the  forest.  They  won't  come  down  to  us." 
For  a  moment  he  was  silent,  his  eyes  turned  to 
the  sea.  Then  he  added,  "  Do  you  notice  any- 
thing queer  about  the  way  you're  bound  to  that 
stake,  Nat?" 

There  was  a  thrilling  emphasis  in  Nathaniel's 
answer.  He  nodded  his  head  affirmatively, 
again  and  again. 

"  Your  hands  are  tied  to  the  post  very  loosely, 
with  a  slack  of  say  six  inches,"  continued  Neil 
with  an  appalling  precision.  "  There  is  a  raw- 
hide thong  about  your  neck,  wet,  and  so  tight 
that  it  chafes  your  skin  when  you  move  your 
head.  But  the  very  uncomfortable  thing  just  at 
this  moment  is  the  way  your  feet  are  fastened. 
Isn't  that  so?  Your  legs  are  drawn  back,  so 
279 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

that  you  are  half  resting  on  your  toes,  and  I'm 
pretty  sure  your  knees  are  aching  right  now. 
Eh?  Well,  it  won't  be  very  long  before  your 
legs  will  give  way  under  you  and  the  slack  about 
your  wrists  will  keep  you  from  helping  your- 
self. Do  you  know  what  will  happen  then  ?  " 

He  paused  and  Nathaniel  stared  at  him, 
partly  understanding,  yet  giving  no  sign. 

"  You  will  hang  upon  the  thong  about  your 
neck  until  you  choke  to  death,"  finished  Neil. 
"That's  the  'Straight  Death.'  If  the  end 
doesn't  come  by  morning  the  sun  will  finish  the 
job.  It  will  dry  out  the  wet  rawhide  until  it 
grips  your  throat  like  a  hand.  Poetically  we 
call  it  the  hand  of  Strang.  Pleasant,  isn't  it  ?  " 

The  grim  definiteness  with  which  he  described 
the  manner  of  their  end  added  to  those  sensa- 
tions which  had  already  become  acutely  discom- 
forting to  Nathaniel.  Had  he  possessed  the  use 
of  his  voice  when  the  Mormons  were  leaving  he 
would  have  called  upon  them  to  return  and 
lengthen  the  thongs  about  his  ankles  by  an  inch 
280 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

or  two.  Now,  with  almost  brutal  frankness, 
Neil  had  explained  to  him  the  meaning  of  his 
strange  posture.  His  knees  began  to  ache.  An 
occasional  sharp  pain  shot  up  from  them  to  his 
hips,  and  the  thong  about  his  neck,  which  at 
first  he  had  used  as  a  support  for  his  chin,  be- 
gan to  irritate  him.  At  times  he  found  him- 
self resting  upon  it  so  heavily  that  it  shortened 
his  breath,  and  he  was  compelled  to  straighten 
himself,  putting  his  whole  weight  on  his  twisted 
feet.  It  seemed  an  hour  before  Neil  broke  the 
terrible  silence  again.  Perhaps  it  was  ten  min- 
utes. 

"  I'm  going  to  begin,"  he  said.  "  Listen. 
If  you  hear  an  answer  nod  your  head." 

He  drew  a  deep  breath,  turned  his  face  as  far 
as  he  could  toward  the  shore,  and  shouted. 

"Help  — help  — help!" 

Again  and  again  the  thrilling  words  burst 
from  his  throat,  and  as  their  echoes  floated  back 
to  them  from  the  forest,  like  a  thousand  mock- 
ing voices,  Nathaniel  grew  hot  with  the  sweat  of 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

horror.  If  he  could  only  have  added  his  own 
voice  to  those  cries,  shrieked  out  the  words  with 
Neil  —  joined  even  unavailingly  in  this  last  fight 
for  life,  it  would  not  have  been  so  bad.  But  he 
was  helpless.  He  watched  the  desperation  grow 
in  his  companion's  face  as  there  came  no  re- 
sponse save  the  taunting  echoes;  even  in  the 
light  of  the  stars  he  saw  that  face  darken  with 
its  effort,  the  eyes  fill  with  a  mad  light,  and  the 
throat  strain  against  its  choking  thong.  Grad- 
ually Neil's  voice  became  weaker.  When  he 
stopped  to  rest  and  listen  his  panting  breath 
came  to  Nathaniel  like  the  hissing  of  steam. 
Soon  the  echoes  failed  to  come  back  from  the 
forest,  and  Nathaniel  fought  like  a  crazed  man 
to  free  himself,  jerking  at  the  thongs  that  held 
him  until  his  wrists  were  bleeding  and  the  raw- 
hide about  his  neck  choked  him. 

"No  use!"  he  heard  Neil  say.  "Better 
take  it  easy  for  a  while,  Nat !  " 

Marion's  brother  had  turned  toward  him,  his 
head  thrown  back  against  the  stake,  his  face 
282 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

lifted  to  the  sky.  Nathaniel  raised  his  own 
head,  and  found  that  he  could  breath  easier. 
For  a  long  time  his  companion  did  not  break 
the  silence.  Mentally  he  began  counting  off 
the  seconds.  It  was  past  midnight  —  probably 
one  o'clock.  Dawn  came  at  half  past  two,  the 
sun  rose  an  hour  later.  Three  hours  to  live! 
Nathaniel  lowered  his  head,  and  the  rawhide 
tightened  perceptibly  at  the  movement.  Neil 
was  watching  him.  His  face  shone  as  white  as 
the  starlit  sand.  His  mouth  was  partly  open. 

"  I'm  devilish  sorry  —  for  you  —  Nat  — "  he 
said. 

His  words  came  with  painful  slowness.  There 
was  a  grating  huskiness  in  his  voice. 

"  This  damned  rawhide  —  is  pinching  —  my 
Adam's  apple — " 

He  smiled.  His  white  teeth  gleamed,  his  eyes 
laughed,  and  with  a  heart  bursting  with  grief 
Nathaniel  looked  away  from  him.  He  had  seen 
courage,  but  never  like  this,  and  deep  down  in 
his  soul  he  prayed — prayed  that  death  might 
283 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

come  to  him  first,  so  that  he  might  not  have  to 
look  upon  the  agonies  of  this  other,  whose  end 
would  be  ghastly  in  its  fearless  resignation. 
His  own  suffering  had  become  excruciating. 
Sharp  pains  darted  like  red-hot  needles  through 
his  limbs,  his  back  tortured  him,  and  his  head 
ached  as  though  a  knife  had  cloven  the  base  of 
his  skull.  Still  —  he  could  breathe.  By  press- 
ing his  head  against  the  post  it  was  not  difficult 
for  him  to  fill  his  lungs  with  air.  But  the 
strength  of  his  limbs  was  leaving  him.  He  no 
longer  felt  any  sensation  in  his  cramped  feet. 
His  knees  were  numb.  He  measured  the  paraly- 
sis of  death  creeping  up  his  legs  inch  by  inch, 
driving  the  sharp  pains  before  it,  until  suddenly 
his  weight  tottered  under  him  and  he  hung  heav- 
ily upon  the  thong  about  his  throat.  For  a  full 
half  minute  he  ceased  to  breathe,  and  a  feeling 
of  ineffable  relief  swept  over  him,  for  during 
those  few  seconds  his  body  was  at  rest.  He 
found  that  by  a  backward  contortion  he  could 
bring  himself  erect  again,  and  that  for  a  few 
284 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

minutes  after  each  respite  it  was  not  so  difficult 
for  him  to  stand. 

After  a  third  effort  he  turned  again  toward 
Neil.  A  groan  of  horror  rose  to  his  imprisoned 
lips.  His  companion's  face  was  full  upon  him, 
ghastly  white;  his  eyes  were  wide  and  staring, 
like  balls  of  shimmering  glass  in  the  starlight, 
and  his  throat  was  straining  at  the  fatal  raw- 
hide! Nathaniel  heard  no  sound,  saw  no  stir  of 
life  in  the  inanimate  figure. 

A  moaning,  wordless  cry  broke  through  the 
cloth  that  gagged  him. 

At  the  sound  of  that  cry,  faint,  terrifying, 
with  all  the  horror  that  might  fill  a  human  soul 
in  its  inarticulate  note,  a  shudder  of  life  passed 
into  Neil's  body.  Weakly  he  flung  himself  back, 
stood  poised  for  an  instant  against  the  stake, 
then  fell  again  upon  the  deadly  thong.  Twice 
—  three  times  he  made  the  effort,  and  failed. 
And  to  Nathaniel,  staring  wild  eyed  and  silent 
now,  the  spectacle  was  one  that  seemed  to  blast 
the  very  soul  within  him  and  send  his  blood  in 
285 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

rushing  torrents  of  fire  to  his  sickened  brain. 
Neil  was  dying!  A  fourth  time  he  struggled 
back.  A  fifth  —  and  he  held  his  ground.  Even 
in  that  passing  instant  something  like  a  flash  of 
his  buoyant  smile  flickered  in  his  face  and  there 
came  to  Nathaniel's  ears  like  a  throttled  whisper 
—  his  name. 

"  Nat  — -" 

And  no  more. 

The  head  fell  forward  again.  And  Nathan- 
iel, turning  his  face  away,  saw  something  come 
up  out  of  the  shimmering  sea,  like  a  shadow  be- 
fore his  blistering  eyes,  and  as  his  own  limbs 
went  out  from  under  him  and  he  felt  the  strang- 
ling death  at  his  throat  there  came  from  that 
shadow  a  cry  that  seemed  to  snap  his  very  heart- 
strings —  a  piercing  cry  and  ( even  in  his  half 
consciousness  he  recognized  it)  a  woman's  cry! 
He  flung  himself  back,  and  for  a  moment  he  saw 
Neil  struggling,  the  last  spark  of  life  in  him 
stirred  by  that  same  cry;  and  then  across  the 
white  sand  two  figures  flew  madly  toward  them 
286 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

and  even  as  the  hot  film  in  his  eyes  grew  thicker 
he  knew  that  one  of  them  was  Marion,  and  that 
the  other  was  Winnsome  Croche. 

His  heart  seemed  to  stop  beating.  He  strove  to 
pull  himself  together,  but  his  head  fell  forward. 
Faintly,  as  on  a  battlefield,  voices  came  to  him, 
and  when  with  a  superhuman  effort  he  straight- 
ened himself  for  an  instant  he  saw  that  Neil  was 
no  longer  at  the  stake  but  was  stretched  on  the 
sand,  and  of  the  two  figures  beside  him  one  sud- 
denly sprang  to  her  feet  and  ran  to  him.  And 
then  Marion's  terror-filled  face  was  close  to  his 
own,  and  Marion's  lips  were  moaning  his  name, 
and  Marion's  hands  were  slashing  at  the  thongs 
that  bound  him.  When  with  a  great  sigh  of  joy 
he  crumpled  down  upon  the  earth  he  knew  that 
he  was  slipping  off  into  oblivion  with  Marion's 
arms  about  his  neck,  and  with  her  lips  pressing 
to  his  the  sweet  elixir  of  her  love. 

Darkness  enshrouded  him  but  a  few  moments, 
when  a  dash  of  cool  water  brought  him  back 
into  light.  He  felt  himself  lowered  upon  the 
287 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

sand  and  after  a  breath  or  two  he  twisted  him- 
self on  his  elbow  and  saw  that  Neil's  white  face 
was  held  on  Winnsome's  breast  and  that  Marion 
was  running  up  from  the  shore  with  more  water. 
For  a  space  she  knelt  beside  her  brother,  and 
then  she  hurried  to  him.  Joy  shone  in  her  face. 
She  fell  upon  her  knees  and  drew  his  head  in 
the  hollow  of  her  arm,  crooning  mad  sense- 
less words  to  him,  and  bathing  his  face  with 
water,  her  eyes  shining  down  upon  him  glor- 
iously. Nathaniel  reached  up  and  touched  her 
face,  and  she  bowed  her  head  until  her  hair 
smothered  him  in  sweet  gloom,  and  kissed  him. 
He  drew  her  lips  to  his  own,  and  then  she  low- 
ered him  gently  and  stood  up  in  the  starlight, 
looking  first  at  Neil  and  next  down  at  him;  and 
then  she  turned  quickly  back  to  the  sea. 

From  down  near  the  shore  she  called  back 
some  word,  and  with  a  shrill  cry  Winnsome  fol- 
lowed her.  Nathaniel  struggled  to  his  elbow, 
to  his  knees  —  staggered  to  his  feet.  He  saw 
the  boat  drifting  out  into  the  night,  and  Winn- 
288 


THE  STRAIGHT  DEATH 

some  standing  alone  at  the  water-edge,  her  sob- 
bing cries  of  entreaty,  of  terror,  following  it 
unanswered.  He  tottered  down  toward  her, 
gaining  new  strength  at  each  step,  but  when  he 
reached  her  the  boat  was  no  longer  to  be  seen 
and  Winnsome's  face  was  whiter  than  the  sands 
under  her  feet. 

"  She  is  gone  —  gone  — "  she  moaned,  stretch- 
ing out  her  arms  to  him.  "  She  is  going  — 
back  to  Strang!" 

And  then,  from  far  out  in  the  white  glory  of 
the  night,  there  came  back  to  him  the  voice  of 
the  girl  he  loved. 

"  Good-by  —  Good-by— " 


289 


CHAPTER  XII 

MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

"GONE  !"  moaned  Winnsome  again.  "  She 
has  gone  —  back  —  to  —  Strang !  " 

Neil  was  crawling  to  them  like  a  wounded  ani- 
mal across  the  sand. 

She  started  toward  him  but  Nathaniel  stop- 
ped her. 

"  She  is  the  king's  —  wife  — " 

His  throat  was  swollen  so  that  he  could  hardly 
speak. 

"  No.  They  are  to  be  married  to-night.  Oh, 
I  thought  she  was  going  to  stay !  "  She  tore 
herself  away  from  him  to  go  to  Neil,  who  had 
fallen  upon  his  face  exhausted,  a  dozen  yards 
away. 

In  the  wet  sand,  where  the  incoming  waves 
290 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

lapped  his  hands  and  feet,  Nathaniel  sank  down, 
his  eyes  staring  out  into  the  shimmering  dis- 
tance where  Marion  had  gone.  His  brain  was  in 
a  daze,  and  he  wondered  if  he  had  been  stricken 
by  some  strange  madness  —  if  this  all  was  but 
some  passing  phantasm  that  would  soon  leave 
him  again  to  his  misery  and  his  despair.  But 
the  dash  of  the  cold  water  against  him  cleared 
away  his  doubt.  Marion  had  come  to  him.  She 
had  saved  him  from  death.  And  now  she  was 
gone. 

And  she  was  not  the  king's  wife ! 

He  staggered  to  his  feet  again  and  plunged 
into  the  lake  until  the  water  reached  to  his  waist, 
calling  her  name,  entreating  her  in  weak,  half 
choked  cries  to  come  back  to  him.  The  water 
soaked  through  to  his  hot,  numb  body,  restoring 
his  reason  and  strength,  and  he  buried  his  face 
in  it  and  drank  like  one  who  had  been  near  to  dy- 
ing of  thirst.  Then  he  returned  to  Neil. 
Winnsome  was  holding  his  head  in  her  arms. 

He  dropped  upon  his  knees  beside  them  and 
291 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

saw  that  life  was  returning  full  and  strong  in 
Neil's  face. 

"  You  will  be  able  to  walk  in  a  few  minutes," 
he  said.  "  You  and  Winnsome  must  leave  here. 
We  are  on  the  mainland  and  if  you  follow  the 
shore  northward  you  will  come  to  the  settlements. 
I  am  going  back  for  Marion." 

Neil  made  an  effort  to  follow  him  as  he  rose 
to  his  feet. 

«  Nat  —  Nat  —  wait  — " 

Winnsome  held  him  back,  frightened,  tight- 
ening her  arms  about  him. 

"  You  must  go  with  Winnsome,"  urged  Na- 
thaniel, seizing  the  hand  that  Neil  stretched  up 
to  him.  "  You  must  take  her  to  the  first  set- 
tlement up  the  coast.  I  will  come  back  to  you 
with  Marion." 

He  spoke  confidently,  as  a  man  who  sees  his 
way  open  clearly  before  him,  and  yet  as  he 
turned,  half  running,  to  the  low  black  shadow  of 
the  distant  forest  he  knew  that  he  was  begin- 
ning a  blind  fight  against  fate.  If  he  could 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

find  a  hunter's  cabin,  a  fisherman's  shanty  —  a 
boat! 

Barely  had  he  disappeared  when  a  voice  called 
to  him.  It  was  Winnsome.  The  girl  ran  up 
to  him  holding  something  in  her  hand.  It  was 
a  pistol.  "  You  may  need  it !  "  she  exclaimed. 
"  We  brought  two  !  " 

Nathaniel  reached  out  hesitatingly,  but  not  to 
take  the  weapon.  Gently,  as  though  his  touch 
was  about  to  fall  upon  some  fragile  flower,  he 
drew  the  girl  to  him,  took  her  beautiful  face 
between  his  two  strong  hands  and  gazed 
steadily  and  silently  for  a  moment  into  her 
eyes. 

"  God  bless  you,  little  Winnsome!"  he  whis- 
pered. "  I  hope  that  some  day  you  will  — 
forgive  me." 

The  girl  understood  him. 

"  If  I  have  anything  to  forgive  —  you  are 
forgiven." 

The  pistol  dropped  upon  the  sand,  her  hands 
stole  to  his  shoulders. 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  I  want  you  to  take  something  to  Marion 
for  me,"  she  whispered  softly.  "  This !  " 

And  she  kissed  him. 

Her  eyes  shone  upon  him  like  a  benediction. 

"  You  have  given  me  a  new  life,  you  have 
given  me  —  Neil!  My  prayers  are  with  you." 

And  kissing  him  again,  she  slipped  away  from 
under  his  hands  before  he  could  speak. 

And  Nathaniel,  following  her  with  his  eyes 
until  he  could  no  longer  see  her,  picked  up  the 
pistol  and  set  off  again  toward  the  forest,  the 
touch  of  her  lips  and  the  prayers  of  this  girl 
whose  father  he  had  slain  filling  him  with  some- 
thing that  was  more  than  strength,  more  than 
hope.  Life  had  been  given  to  him  again,  strong, 
fighting  life,  and  with  it  and  Winnsome's  words 
there  returned  his  old  confidence,  his  old  daring. 
There  was  everything  for  him  to  win  now.  His 
doubts  and  his  fears  had  been  swept  away. 
Marion  was  not  dead,  she  was  not  the  king's 
wife  —  and  it  was  not  of  another  that  he  had 
accepted  proof  of  her  love  for  him,  for  he  had 
294 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

felt  the  pressure  of  her  arms  about  his  neck 
and  the  warmth  of  her  lips  upon  his  face.  He 
had  until  night  —  and  the  dawn  was  j  ust  be- 
ginning to  break.  Ten  or  fifteen  miles  to  the 
north  there  were  settlements,  and  between  there 
were  scores  of  settlers'  homes  and  fishermen's 
shanties.  Surely  within  an  hour  or  two  he 
would  find  a  boat. 

He  turned  where  the  edge  of  the  forest  came 
down  to  meet  the  white  water-run  of  the  sea,  and 
set  off  at  a  slow,  steady  trot  into  the  north.  If 
he  could  reach  a  boat  soon  he  might  overtake 
Marion  in  mid-lake.  The  thought  thrilled  him, 
and  urged  him  to  greater  speed.  As  the  stars 
faded  away  in  the  dawn  he  saw  the  dark  barrier 
of  the  forest  drifting  away,  and  later,  when  the 
light  broke  more  clearly,  there  stretched  out 
ahead  of  him  mile  upon  mile  of  desert  dunes. 
As  far  as  he  could  see  there  was  no  hope  of  life. 
He  slowed  his  steps  now,  for  he  would  need  to 
preserve  his  strength.  Yet  he  experienced  no 
fear,  no  loss  of  confidence.  Each  moment  added 
£95 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

to  his  faith  in  himself.  Before  noon  he  would 
be  on  his  way  to  the  Mormon  kingdom,  by  night- 
fall he  would  be  upon  its  shores.  After  that  — 
He  examined  the  pistol  that  Winnsome  had 
given  him.  There  were  five  shots  in  it  and  he 
smiled  joyously  as  he  saw  that  it  had  been  loaded 
by  an  experienced  hand.  It  would  be  easy 
enough  for  him  to  find  Strang.  He  would  not 
consider  the  woman  —  his  wife.  The  king's 
wife !  Like  a  flash  there  occurred  to  him  the  in- 
cident of  the  battle-field.  Was  it  this  woman  — 
the  woman  who  had  begged  him  to  spare  the 
life  of  the  prophet,  who  had  knelt  beside  him, 
and  whispered  in  his  ear,  and  kissed  him  ?  Had 
that  been  her  reward  for  the  sacrifice  she  be- 
lieved he  had  made  for  her  in  the  castle  chamber? 
The  thought  of  this  woman,  whose  beauty  and 
love  breathed  the  sweet  purity  of  a  flower  and 
whose  faith  to  her  king  and  master  was  still  un- 
broken even  in  her  hour  of  repudiation  fell  upon 
him  heavily.  For  there  was  no  choice,  no 
shadow  of  alternative.  There  was  but  one  way 
296 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

for  him  to  break  the  bondage  of  the  girl  he 
loved. 

For  hours  he  trod  steadily  through  the  sand. 
The  sun  rose  above  him,  hot  and  blistering,  and 
the  dunes  still  stretched  out  ahead  of  him,  like 
winnows  and  hills  and  mountains  of  glittering 
glass.  Gradually  the  desert  became  narrower. 
Far  ahead  he  could  see  where  the  forest  came 
down  to  the  shore  and  his  heart  grew  lighter. 
Half  an  hour  later  he  entered  the  margin  of  trees. 
Almost  immediately  he  found  signs  of  life.  A 
tree  had  been  felled  and  cut  into  wood.  A  short 
distance  beyond  he  came  suddenly  upon  a  nar- 
row path,  beaten  hard  by  the  passing  of  feet, 
and  leading  toward  the  lake.  He  had  meant  to 
rest  under  the  shade  of  these  trees  but  now  he 
forgot  his  fatigue.  For  a  moment  he  hesitated. 
Far  back  in  the  forest  he  heard  the  barking  of  a 
dog  —  but  he  turned  in  the  opposite  direction. 
If  there  was  a  boat  the  path  would  take  him  to 
it.  Through  a  break  in  the  trees  he  caught  the 
green  sweep  of  marsh  rice  and  his  heart  beat  ex- 
297 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

citedly  with  hope.  Where  there  was  rice  there 
were  wild-fowl,  and  surely  where  there  were  wild- 
fowl, there  would  be  a  punt  or  a  canoe !  In  his 
eagerness  he  ran,  and  where  the  path  ended,  the 
flags  and  rice  beaten  into  the  mud  and  water,  he 
stopped  with  an  exultant  cry.  At  his  feet  was  a 
canoe.  It  was  wet,  as  though  just  drawn  out 
of  the  water,  and  a  freshly  used  paddle  was  lying 
across  the  bow.  Pausing  but  to  take  a  quick 
and  cautious  glance  about  him  he  shoved  the 
frail  craft  into  the  lake  and  with  a  few  quiet 
strokes  buried  himself  in  the  rice  grass.  When 
he  emerged  from  it  he  was  half  a  mile  from  the 
shore. 

For  a  long  time  he  sat  motionless,  looking 
out  over  the  shimmering  sea.  Far  to  the  south 
and  west  he  could  make  out  the  dim  outline  of 
Beaver  Island,  while  over  the  trail  he  had  come, 
mile  upon  mile,  lay  the  glistening  dunes.  Some- 
where between  the  white  desert  sand  and  that 
distant  coast  of  the  Mormon  kingdom  Marion 
was  making  her  way  back  to  bondage.  Na- 
298 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

thaniel  had  given  up  all  hope  of  overtaking  her 
now.  Long  before  he  could  intercept  her  she 
would  have  reached  the  island.  When  he  started 
again  he  paddled  slowly,  and  laid  out  for  himself 
the  plan  that  he  was  to  follow.  There  must  be 
no  mistake  this  time,  no  error  in  judgment,  no 
rashness  in  his  daring.  He  would  lie  in  hiding 
until  dusk,  and  then  under  cover  of  darkness 
he  would  hunt  down  Strang  and  kill  him.  After 
that  he  would  fly  to  his  canoe  and  escape.  A 
little  later,  perhaps  that  very  night  if  fate 
played  the  game  well  for  him,  he  would  return 
for  Marion.  And  yet,  as  he  went  over  and  over 
his  scheme,  whipping  himself  into  caution  — 
into  cool  deliberation  —  there  burned  in  his 
blood  a  fire  that  once  or  twice  made  him  set  his 
teeth  hard,  a  fire  that  defied  extinction,  that 
smoldered  only  to  await  the  breath  that  would 
fan  it  into  a  fierce  blaze.  It  was  the  fire  that 
had  urged  him  into  the  rescue  at  the  whipping- 
post, that  had  sent  him  single-handed  to  invade 
the  king's  castle,  that  had  hurled  him  into  the 
299 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

hopeless  battle  upon  the  shore.  He  swore  at 
himself  softly,  laughingly,  as  he  paddled  stead- 
ily toward  Beaver  Island. 

The  sun  mounted  straight  and  hot  over  his 
head;  he  paddled  more  slowly,  and  rested  more 
frequently,  as  it  descended  into  the  west,  but  it 
still  lacked  two  hours  of  sinking  behind  the 
island  forest  when  the  white  water-run  of  the 
shore  came  within  his  vision.  He  had  meant  to 
hold  off  the  coast  until  the  approach  of  evening 
but  changed  his  mind  and  landed,  concealing  his 
canoe  in  a  spot  which  he  marked  well,  for  he 
knew  it  would  soon  be  useful  to  him  again. 
Deep  shadows  were  already  gathering  in  the 
forest  and  through  these  Nathaniel  made  his 
way  slowly  in  the  direction  of  St.  James.  Be- 
tween him  and  the  town  lay  Marion's  home  and 
the  path  that  led  to  Obadiah's.  Once  more  the 
spirit  of  impatience,  of  action,  stirred  within 
him.  Would  Marion  go  first  to  her  home  ?  In- 
voluntarily he  changed  his  course  so  that  it 
would  bring  him  to  the  clearing.  He  assured 
300 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

himself  that  it  would  do  no  harm,  that  he  still 
would  take  no  chances. 

He  came  out  in  the  strip  of  dense  forest  be- 
tween the  clearing  and  St.  James,  worming  his 
way  cautiously  through  the  underbrush  until  he 
could  look  out  into  the  opening.  A  single 
glance  and  he  drew  back  in  astonishment.  He 
looked  again,  and  his  face  turned  suddenly 
white,  and  an  almost  inaudible  cry  fell  from  his 
lips.  There  was  no  longer  a  cabin  in  the  clear- 
ing! Where  it  had  been  there  was  gathered  a 
crowd  of  men  and  boys.  Above  their  heads  he 
saw  a  thin  film  of  smoke  and  he  knew  what  had 
happened.  Marion's  home  had  burned!  But 
what  was  the  crowd  doing?  It  hung  close  in 
about  the  smoldering  ruins  as  if  every  person 
in  it  were  striving  to  reach  a  common  center. 
Surely  a  mere  fire  would  not  gather  and  hold  a 
throng  like  this. 

Nathaniel  rose  to  his  feet  and  thrust  his  head 
and  shoulders  from  his  hiding-place.  He  heard 
a  loud  shout  near  him  and  drew  back  quickly  as 
301 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

a  boy  rushed  madly  across  the  opening  toward 
the  crowd,  crying  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 
He  had  come  out  of  the  path  that  led  to  St. 
James.  No  sooner  had  he  reached  the  group 
about  the  burned  cabin  than  there  came  a  change 
that  added  to  Nathaniel's  bewilderment.  He 
heard  loud  voices,  the  excited  shouting  of  men 
and  the  shrill  cries  of  boys,  and  the  crowd  sud- 
denly began  to  move,  thinning  itself  out  until  it 
was  racing  in  a  black  stream  toward  the  Mormon 
city.  In  his  excitement  Nathaniel  hurried  to- 
ward the  path.  From  the  concealment  of  a 
clump  of  bushes  he  watched  the  people  as  they 
rushed  past  him  a  dozen  paces  away.  Behind 
all  the  others  there  came  a  figure  that  drew  a 
sharp  cry  from  him  as  he  leaped  from  his  hiding- 
place.  It  was  Obadiah  Price. 

"Obadiah!"   he   called.     "Obadiah  Price!" 
The  old  man  turned.     His  face  was  livid.    He 
was  chattering  to  himself,  and  he  chattered  still 
as  he  ran  up  to  Nathaniel.     He  betrayed  no  sur- 
prise at  seeing  him,  and  yet  there  was  the  insane 
302 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

grip   of  steel  in  the  two  hands  that   clutched 
fiercely  at  Nathaniel's. 

"  You  have  come  in  time,  Nat !  "  he  panted 
joyfully.  "  You  have  come  in  time !  Hurry 
—  hurry  —  hurry  — " 

He  ran  back  into  the  clearing,  with  Nathan- 
iel close  at  his  side,  and  pointed  to  the  smoking 
ruins  of  the  cabin  among  the  lilacs. 

"  They  were  killed  last  night ! "  he  cried 
shrilly.  "  Somebody  murdered  them  —  and 
burned  them  with  the  house !  They  are  dead  — 
dead!" 

"Who?"  shouted  Nathaniel. 

Obadiah  had  stopped  and  was  rubbing  and 
twisting  his  hands  in  his  old,  mad  way. 

"  The  old  folks.  Ho,  ho,  the  old  folks,  of 
course !  They  are  dead  —  dead  —  dead  — " 

He  fairly  shrieked  the  words.  Then,  for 
a  moment,  he  stood  tightly  clutching  his  thin 
hands  over  his  chest  in  a  powerful  effort  to 
control  himself. 

"  They  are  dead !  "  he  repeated. 
303 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

He  spoke  more  calmly,  and  yet  there  was 
something  so  terrible  in  his  eyes,  something  so 
harshly  vibrant  of  elation  in  the  quivering  pas- 
sion of  his  voice  that  Nathaniel  felt  himself 
filled  with  a  strange  horror.  He  caught  him  by 
the  arm,  shaking  him  as  he  would  have  shaken  a 
child. 

"Where  is  Marion?"  he  asked.  "Tell  me, 
Obadiah  —  where  is  Marion  ?  " 

The  councilor  seemed  not  to  have  heard  him. 
A  singular  change  came  into  his  face  and  his 
eyes  traveled  beyond  Nathaniel.  Following  his 
glance  the  young  man  saw  that  three  men  had 
appeared  from  the  scorched  shrubbery  about  the 
burned  house  and  were  hurrying  toward  them. 
Without  shifting  his  eyes  Obadiah  spoke  to  him 
quickly. 

"  Those  are  king's  sheriffs,  Nat,"  he  said. 
"  They  know  me.  In  a  moment  they  will  recog- 
nize you.  The  United  States  warship  Michigan 
has  just  arrived  in  the  harbor  to  arrest  Strang. 
If  you  can  reach  the  cabin  and  hold  it  for  an 
304 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

hour  you  will  be  saved.  Quick  —  you  must 
run—" 

"Where  is  Marion?" 

"At  the  cabin!     She  is  at  — " 

Nathaniel  waited  to  hear  no  more,  but  sped 
toward  the  breach  in  the  forest  that  marked  the 
beginning  of  the  path  to  Obadiah's.  The 
shouts  of  the  king's  men  came  to  him  unheeded. 
At  the  edge  of  the  woods  he  glanced  back  and 
saw  that  they  had  overtaken  the  councilor.  As 
he  ran  he  drew  his  pistol  and  in  his  wild  joy  he 
flung  back  a  shout  of  defiance  to  the  men  who 
were  pursuing  him.  Marion  was  at  the  cabin  — 
and  a  government  ship  had  come  to  put  an  end 
to  the  reign  of  the  Mormon  king !  He  shouted 
Marion's  name  as  he  came  in  sight  of  the  cabin ; 
he  cried  it  aloud  as  he  bounded  up  the  low  steps. 

"  Marion  —  Marion  — " 

In   front   of  the  door  that   led  to  the   tiny 

chamber  in  which  he  had  taken  Obadiah's  gold 

he  saw  a  figure.     For  a  moment  he  was  blinded 

by  his  sudden  dash  from  the  light  of  day  into  the 

305 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

gloom  of  the  cabin,  and  he  saw  only  that  a  figure 
was  standing  there,  as  still  as  death.  His  pistol 
dropped  to  the  floor.  He  stretched  out  his  arms, 
and  his  voice  sobbed  in  its  entreaty  as  he  whis- 
pered the  girl's  name.  In  response  to  that 
whisper  came  a  low,  glad  cry,  and  Marion  lay 
trembling  on  his  breast. 

"  I  have  come  back  for  you !  "  he  breathed. 

He  felt  her  heart  beating  against  him.  He 
pressed  her  closer,  and  her  arms  slipped  about 
his  neck. 

"  I  have  come  back  for  you ! " 

He  was  almost  crying,  like  a  boy,  in  his  hap- 
piness. 

"  I  love  you,  I  love  you  — " 

He  felt  the  warm  touch  of  her  lips. 

"You  will  go  with  me?" 

"  If  you  want  me,"  she  whispered.  "  If  you 
want  me  —  after  you  know  —  what  I  am  — " 

She  shuddered  against  his  breast,  and  he 
raised  her  face  between  his  two  hands  and  kissed 
her  until  she  drew  away  from  him,  crying  softly. 
306 


/ 


Marion 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

"  You  must  wait  —  you  must  wait !  " 
He  saw  now  in  her  face  an  agony  that  ap- 
palled him.  He  would  have  gone  to  her  again, 
but  there  came  loud  voices  from  the  forest,  and 
recovering  his  pistol  he  sprang  to  the  door. 
Half  a  hundred  paces  away  were  Obadiah  and 
the  king's  sheriffs.  They  had  stopped  and  the 
councilor  was  expostulating  excitedly  with  the 
men,  evidently  trying  to  keep  them  from  the 
cabin.  Suddenly  one  of  the  three  broke  past 
him  and  ran  swiftly  toward  the  open  door,  and 
with  a  shriek  of  warning  to  Nathaniel  the  old 
councilor  drew  a  pistol  and  fired  point  blank 
in  the  sheriff's  back.  In  another  instant  the 
two  men  behind  had  fired  and  Obadiah  fell  for- 
ward upon  his  face. 

With  a  yell  of  rage  Nathaniel  leaped  from 
the  door.  .  He  heard  Marion  cry  out  his  name, 
but  his  fighting  blood  was  stirred  and  he  did  not 
stop.  Obadiah  had  given  up  his  life  for  him, 
for  Marion,  and  he  was  mad  with  a  desire  to 
wreak  vengeance  upon  the  murderers.  The  first 
307 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

man  lay  where  he  had  fallen,  with  Obadiah's 
bullet  through  his  back.  The  other  two  fired 
again  as  Nathaniel  rushed  down  upon  them. 
He  heard  the  zip  of  one  of  the  balls,  which  came 
so  close  that  it  stung  his  cheek. 

"Take  that!"  he  cried. 

He  fired,  still  running  —  once,  twice,  three 
times  and  one  of  the  two  men  crumpled  down  as 
though  a  powerful  blow  had  broken  his  legs 
under  him. 

The  other  turned  into  the  path  and  ran. 
Nathaniel  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  frightened, 
boyish  face,  and  something  of  mercy  prompted 
him  to  hold  the  shot  he  was  about  to  send 
through  his  lungs. 

"  Stop !  "  he  shouted.     "  Stop !  " 

He  aimed  at  the  fugitive's  legs  and  fired. 

"  Stop !  " 

The  boyish  sheriff  was  lengthening  the  dis- 
tance between  them  and  Nathaniel  halted  to 
make  sure  of  his  last  ball.  He  was  about  to 
shoot  when  there  came  a  sharp  command  from 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

down  the  path  and  a  file  of  men  burst  into  view, 
running  at  double-quick.  He  saw  the  flash  of 
a  saber,  the  gleam  of  brass  buttons,  the  blue 
glare  of  the  setting  sun  on  leveled  carbines,  and 
he  stopped,  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  the  man  he 
had  been  pursuing.  For  a  moment  he  stared  as 
the  man  with  the  naked  saber  approached. 
Then  he  sprang  toward  him  with  a  joyful  cry  of 
recognition. 

"  My  God,  Sherly  —  Sherly  — " 

He  stood  with  his  arms  stretched  out,  his 
naked  chest  heaving. 

"  Sherly  —  Lieutenant  Sherly  —  don't  you 
know  me?  " 

The  lieutenant  had  dropped  the  point  of  his 
saber.  He  advanced  a  step,  his  face  filled  with 
astonishment. 

"  Plum ! "  he  cried  incredulously.  "  Is  it 
you?" 

For  the  moment  Nathaniel  could  only  wring 
the  other's  hand.  He  tried  to  speak  but  his 
breath  choked  him. 

309 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  I  told  you  in  Chicago  that  I  was  going  to 
blow  up  this  damned  island  —  if  you  wouldn't 
do  it  for  me  — "  he  gasped  at  last.  "  I've  had 
—  a  hell  of  a  time  — " 

"  You  look  it ! "  laughed  the  lieutenant. 
"  We  got  our  orders  the  second  day  after  you 
left  to  '  Arrest  Strang,  and  break  up  the  Mor- 
mon kingdom ! '  We've  got  Strang  aboard  the 
Michigan.  But  he's  dead." 

"Dead!" 

"  He  was  shot  in  the  back  by  one  of  his  own 
men  as  we  were  bringing  him  up  the  gang-way. 
The  fellow  who  killed  him  has  given  himself  up, 
and  says  that  he  did  it  because  Strang  had  him 
publicly  whipped  day  before  yesterday.  I'm 
up  here  hunting  for  a  man  named  Obadiah  Price. 
Do  you  know  — " 

Nathaniel  interrupted  him  excitedty. 

"  What  do  you  want  with  Obadiah  Price  ?  " 

"  The  president  of  the  United  States  wants 
him.  That's  all  I  know.  Where  is  he?  " 

"  Back  there  —  dead  or  very  badly  wounded ! 
310 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

We've  just  had  a  fight  with  the  king's  men — " 

The  lieutenant  broke  in  with  a  sharp  com- 
mand to  his  men. 

"  Quick,  lead  us  to  him.  Captain  Plum ! 
If  he's  not  dead  — " 

He  started  off  at  a  half  run  beside  Nathaniel. 

"  Lord,  it's  a  pretty  mess  if  he  is ! "  he 
added  breathlessly.  Without  pausing  he  called 
back  over  his  shoulder,  "  Regan,  fall  out  and  re- 
turn to  the  ship.  Tell  the  captain  that  Oba- 
diah  Price  is  badly  wounded  and  that  we  want 
the  surgeon  on  the  run !  " 

A  turn  in  the  path  brought  them  to  the  open- 
ing where  the  fight  had  occurred.  Marion  was 
on  her  knees  beside  the  old  councilor. 

Nathaniel  hurried  ahead  of  the  lieutenant  and 
his  men.  The  girl  glanced  up  at  him  and  his 
heart  filled  with  dread  at  the  terror  in  her  eyes. 

"  Is  he  dead?  " 

"  No  —  but  — "  Her  voice  trembled  with 
tears. 

Nathaniel  did  not  let  her  finish.  Gently  he 
311 


THE  'COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

raised  her  to  her  feet  as  the  lieutenant  came  up. 

"  You  must  go  to  the  cabin,  sweetheart,"  he 
whispered. 

Even  in  this  moment  of  excitement  and  death 
his  great  love  drove  all  else  from  his  eyes,  and 
the  blood  surged  into  Marion's  pale  cheeks  as  she 
tremblingly  gave  him  her  hand.  He  led  her  to 
the  door,  and  held  her  for  a  moment  in  his  arms. 

"  Strang  is  dead,"  he  said  softly.  In  a  few 
words  he  told  her  what  had  happened  and  turned 
back  to  the  door,  leaving  her  speechless. 

"If  he  is  dying  —  you  will  tell  me — ?9  she 
called  after  him. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  will  tell  you." 

He  ran  back  into  the  opening. 

The  lieutenant  had  doubled  his  coat  under 
Obadiah's  head  and  his  face  was  pale  as  he  looked 
up  at  Nathaniel.  The  latter  saw  in  his  eyes 
what  his  lips  kept  silent.  The  officer  held  some- 
thing in  his  hand.  It  was  the  mysterious  pack- 
age which  Captain  Plum  had  taken  his  oath  to 
deliver  to  the  president  of  the  United  States, 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

"  I  don't  dare  move  until  the  surgeon  comes," 
said  the  lieutenant.  "  He  wants  to  speak  to  you. 
I  believe,  if  he  has  anything  to  say  you  had  bet- 
ter hear  it  now." 

His  last  words  were  in  a  whisper  so  low  that 
Nathaniel  scarcely  heard  them.  As  the  lieuten- 
ant rose  to  his  feet,  he  whispered  again. 

"He  is  dying!" 

Obadiah's  eyes  opened  as  Nathaniel  knelt  be- 
side him  and  from  between  his  thin  lips  there 
came  faintly  the  old,  gurgling  chuckle. 

"  Nat !  "  he  breathed.  His  thin  hand  sought 
his  companion's  and  clung  to  it  tightly.  "  We 
have  won.  The  vengeance  of  God  —  has 
come ! " 

In  these  last  moments  all  madness  had  left  the 
eyes  of  Obadiah  Price. 

"  I  want  to  tell  you  — "  he  whispered,  and 
Nathaniel  bent  low.  "  I  have  given  him  the 
package.  It  is  evidence  I  have  gathered  —  all 
these  years  —  to  destroy  the  Mormon  kingdom." 

He  tried  to  turn  his  head. 
313 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

"  Marion  — "  he  whispered  wistfully. 

"She  will  come,"  said  Nathaniel.  "I  will 
call  her." 

"  No  —  not  yet." 

Obadiah's  fingers  tightened  about  Captain 
Plum's. 

"  I  want  to  tell  —  you." 

For  a  few  moments  he  seemed  struggling  to 
command  all  his  strength. 

"  A  good  many  years  ago,"  he  said,  as  if 
speaking  to  himself,  "  I  loved  a  girl  —  like 
Marion,  and  she  loved  me  —  as  Marion  loves 
you.  Her  people  were  Mormons,  and  they  went 
to  Kirtland  —  and  I  followed  them.  We 
planned  to  escape  and  go  east,  for  my  Jean  was 
good  and  beautiful,  and  hated  the  Mormons  as 
I  hated  them.  But  they  caught  us  and  — 
thought  —  they  —  killed  — " 

The  old  man's  lips  twitched  and  a  convulsive 
shudder  shook  his  body. 

"  When  everything  came  back  to  me  I  was 
older  —  much  older,"  he  went  on.  "  My  hair 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

was  white.  I  was  like  an  old  man.  My  people 
had  found  me  and  they  told  me  that  I  had  been 
mad  for  three  years,  Nat  —  mad  —  mad  — 
mad!  and  that  a  great  surgeon  had  operated  on 
my  head,  where  they  struck  me  —  and  brought 
me  back  to  reason.  Nat  —  Nat  — "  He 
strained  to  raise  himself,  gasping  excitedly. 
"  God,  I  was  like  you  then,  Nat !  I  went  back 
to  fight  for  my  Jean.  She  was  gone.  Nobody 
knew  me,  for  I  was  an  old  man.  I  hunted  from 
settlement  to  settlement.  In  my  madness  I  be- 
came a  Morman,  for  vengeance  —  in  hope  of 
finding  her.  I  was  rich,  and  I  became  powerful. 
I  was  made  an  elder  because  of  my  gold.  Then 
I  found  — " 

A  moan  trembled  on  the  old  man's  lips. 

"—  they  had  forced  her  to  marry  —  the  son 
of  a  Mormon  — " 

He  stopped,  and  for  a  moment  his  eyes  seemed 
filling  with  the  glazed  shadows  of  death.  He 
roused  himself  almost  fiercely. 

"  But  he  loved  my  Jean,  Nat  —  he  loved  her 
315 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

as  I  loved  her  —  and  he  was  a  good  man ! "  he 
whispered  shrilly.  "  Quick  —  quick  —  I  must 
tell  you  —  they  had  tried  to  escape  from  Mis- 
souri and  the  Danites  killed  him, —  and  Joseph 
Smith  wanted  Jean  and  at  the  last  moment  she 
killed  herself  to  save  her  honor  —  as  —  Marion 
—  was  going  —  to  —  do,  and  she  left  two  chil- 
dren —» 

He  coughed  and  blood  flecked  his  lips. 

"  She  left  —  Marion  and  Neil !  " 

He  sank  back,  ashen  white  and  still,  and  with 
a  cry  Nathaniel  turned  to  the  lieutenant.  The 
officer  ran  forward  with  a  flask  in  his  hand. 

"  Give  him  this !  " 

The  touch  of  liquor  to  Obadiah's  lips  revived 
him.  He  whispered  weakly. 

"  The  children,  Nat  —  I  tried  to  find  them  — 
and  years  after  —  I  did  —  in  Nauvoo.  The 
man  and  woman  who  had  killed  the  father  in 
their  own  house  had  taken  them  and  were  raising 
them  as  their  own.  I  went  mad !  Vengeance  — 
vengeance  —  I  lived  for  it,  year  after  year.  I 
316 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

wanted  the  children  —  but  if  I  took  them  all 
would  be  lost.  I  followed  them,  watched  them, 
loved  them  —  and  they  loved  me.  I  would  wait 
—  wait  —  until  my  vengeance  would  fall  like 
the  hand  of  God,  and  then  I  would  free  them, 
and  tell  them  how  beautiful  their  mother  was. 
When  Joseph  Smith  was  killed  and  the  split 
came  the  old  folks  followed  Strang  —  and  I  — 
I  too—" 

He  rested  a  moment,  breathing  heavily. 

66 1  brought  my  Jean  with  me  and  buried  her 
up  .there  on  the  hill  —  the  middle  grave,  Nat, 
the  middle  grave  —  Marion's  mother." 

Nathaniel  pressed  the  liquor  to  the  old  man's 
lips  again. 

"  My  vengeance  was  at  hand  —  I  was  almost 
ready  —  when  Strang  learned  a  part  of  the  se- 
cret," he  continued  with  an  effort.  "  He  found 
the  old  people  were  murderers.  When  Marion 
would  not  become  his  wife  he  told  her  what  they 
had  done.  He  showed -her  "the  evidence!  He 
threatened  them  with  death  unless  Marion  be- 
317 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

came  his  wife.  His  sheriffs  watched  them 
night  and  day.  He  named  the  hour  of  their 
doom  —  unless  Marion  yielded  to  him.  And  to 
save  them,  her  supposed  parents  —  to  keep  the 
terrible  knowledge  of  their  crime  from  Neil  — 
Marion  —  was  —  going  —  to  —  sacrifice  — 
herself  —  when  — " 

Again  he  stopped.  His  breath  was  coming 
more  faintly. 

"  I  understand,"  whispered  Nathaniel.  "  I 
understand  — ' 

Obadiah's  dimming  eyes  gazed  at  him  stead- 

ay. 

"  I  thought  my  vengeance  would  come  —  in 
time  —  to  save  her,  Nat.  But  —  it  failed.  I 
knew  of  one  other  way  and  when  all  seemed  lost 
—  I  took  it.  I  killed  the  old  people  —  the 
murderers  of  her  father  —  of  my  Jean !  I  knew 
that  would  destroy  Strang's  power  — " 

In  a  sudden  spasm  of  strength  he  lifted  his 
head.  His  voice  came  in  a  hoarse,  excited 
whisper. 

318 


MARION  FREED  FROM  BONDAGE 

"  You  won't  tell  Marion  —  you  won't  tell 
Marion  that  I  killed  them  — " 

«  No  —  never." 

Obadiah  fell  back  with  a  relieved  sigh.  After 
a  moment  he  added. 

"  In  a  chest  in  the  cabin  there  is  a  letter  for 
Marion.  It  tells  her  about  her  mother  —  and 
the  gold  there  —  is  for  her  —  and  Neil — " 

His  eyes  closed.  A  shudder  passed  through 
his  form. 

"Marion—"  he  breathed.     "Marion!" 

Nathaniel  rose  to  his  feet  and  ran  to  the  cabin 
door. 

"  Marion !  "  he  called. 

Blinding  tears  shut  out  the  vision  of  the  girl 
from  his  eyes.  He  pointed,  looking  from  her, 
and  she,  knowing  what  he  meant,  sped  past  him 
to  the  old  councilor. 

In  the  great  low  room  in  which  Obadiah  Price 
had  spent  so  many  years  planning  his  venge- 
ance Captain  Plum  waited. 

After  a  time,  the  girl  came  back. 
319 


THE  COURAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  PLUM 

There  was  great  pain  in  her  voice  as  she 
stretched  out  her  arms  to  him  blindly,  sobbing 
his  name. 

"  Gone  —  gone  —  they're  all  gone  now  — — 
but  Neil ! " 

Nathaniel  held  out  his  arms. 

"Only  Neil,"-— he  cried,  "only  Neil  — 
Marion  — ?  " 

"  And  you  —  you  —  you  — " 

Her  arms  were  around  his  neck,  he  held  her 
throbbing  against  his  breast. 

"  And  you  — » 

She  raised  her  face,  glorious  in  its  love. 

"  If  you  want  me  —  still." 

And  he  whispered: 

"  For  ever  and  for  ever !  " 


THE    END 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SANTA  CRUZ 


This  book  is  due  on  the  last  DATE  stamped  below. 


MOV  23  76 


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AT  HDD  I! 


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